Chinese authorities are ramping up pressure on lawyers defending a group of jailed Christian church leaders, whose arrests last year drew condemnation from the U.S. government, as Beijing seeks to silence religious faithful who refuse to submit to state control. Nearly 20 people associated with Zion Church, a large, long-running Protestant congregation in the Chinese capital, were arrested in October, including founder Ezra Jin, part of one China’s largest crackdowns on Christians in years.

Full report : China Targets Lawyers Defending Jailed Christian Leaders.