September 17th 2024.
A Christian pastor from California has finally returned home to the US after being imprisoned in China for nearly 20 years. The State Department announced on Monday that David Lin, 68, had been released and reunited with his family. According to reports, Lin was detained in 2006 and later sentenced to life in prison for contract fraud. His release was made possible through the efforts of the Biden administration, who have been working on securing the freedom of wrongly detained Americans in China.
The news of Lin's release was shared by his daughter, Alice Lin, who expressed her gratitude to God and shared that her father was currently flying over Alaska on his way back home. This reunion was made possible thanks to the tireless work of Bob Fu, the founder of China Aid, an advocacy group for persecuted activists in China. Fu had been a longtime supporter of Lin and had been raising awareness about his case.
The Biden administration has been actively working towards securing the release of Americans detained in China and has raised the issue in every meeting with senior Chinese officials. Despite the ongoing tensions between the two countries, these meetings serve to keep communication open and work towards resolving issues like this.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed Lin's release and stated that they will continue to push for the release of other Americans still being detained in China. Lin, who frequently travelled to China in the 1990s for Christian ministry work, had been detained in 2006 after assisting an unauthorised church. He was formally arrested in 2009 and sentenced to life in prison for contract fraud, a charge that is often used against leaders of unregistered churches in China.
Lin's case had been highlighted by several humanitarian groups, including the Dui Hua Foundation, who reported that he was in declining health and faced threats to his safety in prison. The Chinese government, which requires all Christian churches to register and pledge loyalty to the ruling Communist Party, has been cracking down on unauthorised churches and their activities.
Lin's release brings hope to the families of other Americans still being held in China, including Kai Li and Mark Swidan, who have been designated as "wrongful detainees" by the State Department. Li's son, along with the families of other detainees, will be speaking at a congressional hearing on Wednesday to raise awareness about their loved ones and urge for their release.
Representative Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed his relief at Lin's release and called for the immediate release of others still being held. He also noted that this trend of "hostage diplomacy" by authoritarian regimes is a cause for concern and must be addressed.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
