China’s ruling Communist Party has fired a warning shot to the fast-growing underground Protestant Churches in the country by jailing Wang Yi, founder of Sichuan province’s Early Rain Covenant Church, for nine years after a secret trial where he had no legal representation. The US State Department has demanded his immediate release.

The sentence for “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business activities” became public on Dec. 29 when the court that convicted the preacher issued its judgment. He was found guilty during a closed-doors trial on Dec. 26 on what the State Department described as “trumped-up charges.” Pastor Yi and his wife Jiang Rong were arrested with dozens of other congregants on Dec. 9, 2018, during a crackdown on Cheng-du’s largest unregistered church.

Wang has been deprived of his political rights for three years and 50,000 yuan (US$7,160) of his personal property was confiscated as part of his sentencing. Jiang’s whereabouts remain unknown, although a congregant posted on the internet that she was being held under residential surveillance.