Church in Chains has recently learned that Fu Xuanjuan (47), whose six-year prison sentence was due to expire on 1 July 2026, was released on parole in September 2025. This information was previously only available on Chinese language sources.
In a letter dated October 2025, Fu confirmed that she had returned home and said her release was connected with her illness (she had been suffering from uterine fibroids and her husband had sought medical parole in late 2024) although the official court document formally granted parole based on the statutory criteria including Fu’s prison record, completion of more than half the sentence, low reoffending risk and arrangements for community supervision.
Fu was executive director of a technology company that sold audio Bible players when she and her husband Deng Tianyong – who also worked for the company – were arrested in 2020. They were charged with “illegal business operations” and were sentenced to six and three years respectively in prison. Deng was released in July 2023 after serving his sentence.
On 27 August 2025 Guangzhou Women’s Prison submitted a parole recommendation for Fu and after considering the case the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court issued a ruling, dated 26 September 2025, which stated, “The prisoner Fu Xuanjuan is hereby granted parole”. The ruling gave the parole period as 26 September 2025 through 1 July 2026 (when her sentence had been due to expire).
Letter from Fu Xuanjuan
In a letter dated 11 October 2025, published by China’s Five O’Clock Kingdom Prayer Meeting Network, Fu stated that she had returned home after being released on parole, reflected on over five years in prison, described her illness and thanked Christians who had prayed for her and supported her family.
Peace to the brothers and sisters!
Greetings to everyone in the Lord, and thank you all!
I am Sister Fu. Recently, because of illness, I was released on parole and returned home. God has truly shown me grace. Looking back on more than five years of life in prison, I could not have made it without the brothers and sisters praying for me and supporting my family. Thinking back to the moment when my husband and I lost our freedom, I thought of my lonely and helpless young daughter being by herself in Shenzhen, my elderly mother-in-law, and also my own physical condition. I was always so weak and powerless. It was God’s great power and the love of the brothers and sisters that supported me and brought me to where I am today.
During these years, I experienced many hardships and times of weakness, and I also experienced God’s grace. In prison, I was diagnosed with adenomyosis. Every time the illness flared up, I could only rely on taking painkillers or receiving pain-relieving injections. But sometimes the pain became very severe, and no treatment was of any use. I could only pray by myself in the midst of the pain. The doctor said that my condition would only become more and more serious and that the pain would not lessen, and also suggested that I have surgery. But I always believed that God would not ignore me. I believed that God is faithful. Just as I had experienced Him in the past, at this time He would surely also have mercy on me and help me.
In April 2023, the “China’s Five O’Clock” Kingdom Prayer Meeting learned of my illness, and all the members of the body prayed for me. In May, my physical condition clearly began to improve and was no longer as serious as before. Previously, whenever the pain came, it would last 10–12 days. As long as I was in pain, I would vomit and be unable to eat. In May, I still had pain, but I no longer felt nauseated, and I was able to eat. I clearly felt the strength of everyone’s prayers for me. During this period, I took medicine for half a year. Later, I also experienced many acts of God’s grace and wonderful works.
Originally, what I feared most was spending the winter inside. The damp cold of the prison made my body weak and caused the illness to flare up repeatedly. I never expected that last winter I would be able to get through it safely. Because my illness was serious, many people in the prison knew me. People would often ask me how I had gotten better, and I would take the opportunity to share the gospel.
In suffering, I deeply experienced that God’s love never leaves or abandons us. Through the brothers and sisters, God encouraged me and accompanied me in different ways. In people’s eyes, I was alone inside, but I often felt powerful support – a strength that came from people praying for me. I was not alone, because I had all of you!
God also used me to sow seeds in that place. The police officer who was in charge of me said that the Bible was also very good, and she has continued reading it. May God save her! I have also continued praying for her!
Although suffering came upon my family, the Bible says that those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed. These words are true. What am I, that God would care for me so much and allow me to be worthy of receiving this grace? In people’s eyes, it is suffering. Life in prison is not easy. But God allowed me to experience His faithfulness. He will not lose any person who comes before Him.
During the past more than five years, the brothers and sisters prayed for me and my family and gave us financial support. When I was at my weakest and most discouraged, it was you who comforted me, accompanied me, and encouraged me, enabling me to bravely continue moving forward.
Thank the Lord! Thank you, brothers and sisters! The Lord’s love never leaves or abandons us. May the Lord’s grace be multiplied to the brothers and sisters!
Fu Xuanjuan
11 October 2025
Read Fu Xuanjuan’s Prisoner Profile.
(Weiquanwang, China Digital Times, China HRC, China’s Five O’Clock Prayer Meeting Network)