A court in eastern Zhejiang province has sentenced a Christian pastor and his wife to years in prison after they defied the state's order to remove crosses atop churches, the state media announced.

The couple, who led a Christian congregatio,n was convicted for illegal activities, including corruption and disturbing the social order.

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The court sentenced Bao Guohua to 14 years imprisonment, while his wife Xing Wenxiang was meted out a 12-year sentence, after it was found out that they illegally organized churchgoers to fight the government and disturbed social order.

                                                         $336,000

The state-run Zhejiang Daily newspaper said the couple tricked the members of the congregation into donating $336,000 to the church. But it was found out that the couple spent the money on cars and other extravagant purchases while pretending to live a very austere life.

Christians in Zhejiang's have been at loggerheads with local authorities for the past two years due to the latter's removal of hundreds of crosses atop churches and the demolition of some churches altogether.

The local authorities have defended their actions saying the churches violated building codes and infrastructure regulations.

                                                     Christian population

Religious leaders in Zhejiang, who lead Christian churches - most of it sanctioned by the government - said local authorities have turned their ire on the Christian population which has grown in number and influence.

Several well-known figures, who have defied the government campaign to remove crosses by staging protest rallies and petitioning the government, have been targeted with criminal prosecutions.

The clash between the religious rights of Christians in Zhejiang and the state's right to implement the law has been complicated by the fact that  churches have received tons of support from overseas at a time when the Chinese government has lambasted foreign meddling in China's domestic affairs.

                                                   Illegal religious activities

A Beijing-based Christian lawyer Zhang Kai was allegedly detained a day before he was scheduled to go to the United States to meet a US envoy in August.

Days after, he was shown on television confessing to organizing illegal religious activities and undermining China's political system with the support of China Aid, a Texas-based group that funds the churches' efforts to resist the removal of crosses.

Ten more Christian pastors have reportedly been sentenced to years in prison for violating the state's laws against illegal organization.

TagsChristian congregation, Illegal religious activities, Pastor, Zhejiang province, china