Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

China ‘cult’ members on trial for McDonald’s killing: Court

-

Five people accused by Chinese authorities of being members of a religious cult went on trial Thursday for beating a woman to death at a McDonald's restaurant, the court said.

The woman, surnamed Wu, was attacked in May at the restaurant in Zhaoyuan, in Shandong province, after refusing to give the suspects her telephone number, the official news agency Xinhua said.

They were seeking to recruit her into a cult called Quannengshen, it said.

The group, which can be translated as Church of Almighty God, was outlawed by the government in the mid-1990s, according to media reports.

Images of the five accused, dressed in bright orange clothing and surrounded by 17 police officers, were posted online by Yantai Intermediate People's Court in Shandong, in eastern China.

"The indictment charged the defendants Zhang Fan, Zhang Lidong, Lu Yingchun, Zhang Hang, Zhang Qiao jointly with intentional homicide," it said on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

Reports in May said six suspects were detained, including a juvenile, whose case would be dealt with separately.

China has previously cracked down harshly on groups it labels "cults", most notably the Falungong spiritual movement which was banned in the late 1990s.

It has since detained tens of thousands of its members, according to rights groups, with some saying they have been tortured for refusing to give up their beliefs.

The organisation insists it is targeted because the ruling Communist Party views it as a threat.

Five people accused by Chinese authorities of being members of a religious cult went on trial Thursday for beating a woman to death at a McDonald’s restaurant, the court said.

The woman, surnamed Wu, was attacked in May at the restaurant in Zhaoyuan, in Shandong province, after refusing to give the suspects her telephone number, the official news agency Xinhua said.

They were seeking to recruit her into a cult called Quannengshen, it said.

The group, which can be translated as Church of Almighty God, was outlawed by the government in the mid-1990s, according to media reports.

Images of the five accused, dressed in bright orange clothing and surrounded by 17 police officers, were posted online by Yantai Intermediate People’s Court in Shandong, in eastern China.

“The indictment charged the defendants Zhang Fan, Zhang Lidong, Lu Yingchun, Zhang Hang, Zhang Qiao jointly with intentional homicide,” it said on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.

Reports in May said six suspects were detained, including a juvenile, whose case would be dealt with separately.

China has previously cracked down harshly on groups it labels “cults”, most notably the Falungong spiritual movement which was banned in the late 1990s.

It has since detained tens of thousands of its members, according to rights groups, with some saying they have been tortured for refusing to give up their beliefs.

The organisation insists it is targeted because the ruling Communist Party views it as a threat.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.

Life

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often suggest travel destinations based on your likes and viewing habits.

Social Media

From vampires and wendigos to killer asteroids, TikTok users are pumping out outlandish end-of-the-world conspiracy theories.