A Christian pastor from California has been freed from China after nearly 20 years behind bars and is back home in the U.S., the State Department said Monday.
David Lin, 68, was detained after he entered China in 2006, later convicted of contract fraud and sentenced to life in prison, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and advocacy groups.
“Praise God! We got the call late last night!!! Dad is free and over Alaska now,” the pastor’s daughter, Alice Lin, said by text message Sunday to Bob Fu, a longtime supporter and the founder of China Aid, an U.S.-based advocacy group for persecuted activists in China. Fu shared with The Associated Press a screenshot of the text sent before the Lins reunited.
The Biden administration has been working on David Lin’s case and those of other wrongly detained Americans in China for years and have raised them at every meeting with senior Chinese officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting this summer with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos. Such meetings aim to keep communication open between Washington and Beijing despite escalating tensions.
“We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China. He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years,” the State Department said.
Lin frequently traveled to China in the 1990s to spread the gospel, according to China Aid, which says Lin sought a license from the Chinese government to carry out Christian ministry. It’s unlikely he was granted permission, and he was detained in 2006 when assisting a church not authorized by Chinese officials, the group said.
Lin was formally arrested in 2009 on suspicion of contract fraud and, after a court review, was sentenced to life in prison, China Aid said.
The charge is frequently used against leaders of churches that operate outside state-sponsored faith groups, and it is a crime that Lin denied, according to the Dui Hua Foundation, a humanitarian group that advocates for prisoners in China. The commission on religious freedom says those leading and taking part in churches not sanctioned by the Chinese government “often face intimidation, harassment, arrest, and harsh sentences.”
In China, all Christian churches must pledge loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and register with the government. Any unregistered congregation is considered an underground church whose activities are illegal in China. Beijing has always cracked down on “unlawful preaching,” and efforts have only intensified in the past decade.
Lin’s sentence had been reduced and he had been due for release in April 2030. The commission on religious freedom noted in 2019 that there were reports Lin was in declining health and faced possible threats to his safety in prison.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment about Lin’s release.
Other Americans known to remain detained in China include Kai Li, a businessman who is being held on espionage-related charges that his family says are bogus, and Mark Swidan, who was sentenced on drug charges. The State Department’s office of the special presidential envoy on hostage affairs has designated the two as “wrongful detainees,” a label given to Americans jailed in foreign countries for what the U.S. government considers legally specious allegations or for improper motivations.
Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt also are incarcerated in China over drug-related charges, and their families, along with Li’s son, will be among those speaking at a congressional hearing Wednesday about Americans held in China.
Representative Michael McCaul, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “extremely glad” Lin was released after 17 years behind bars and called for Li and Swidan to be freed immediately.
Lin’s “capture, like so many others, marks a rising trend of hostage diplomacy by authoritarians around the world,” McCaul said on the social platform X.
– What led to the imprisonment of California pastor David Lin in China?
Table of Contents
California Pastor Freed from Chinese Prison After 20 Years, Returns Home to the US
In a joyous and long-awaited moment, a California pastor, David Lin, has been freed from a Chinese prison after nearly 20 years behind bars. The 68-year-old pastor was detained in 2006, convicted of contract fraud, and sentenced to life in prison. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and advocacy groups, Lin’s release is a significant victory for the Biden administration, which has been working tirelessly to secure the freedom of wrongly detained Americans in China.
A Long and Difficult Journey
David Lin, a Christian pastor from California, had frequently traveled to China in the 1990s to spread the gospel. However, his efforts were met with resistance from the Chinese authorities, who require all Christian churches to pledge loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and register with the government. Lin’s attempts to assist an unauthorized church led to his detention in 2006, and subsequent conviction and sentencing in 2009.
Legal Limbo and Health Concerns
Lin’s sentence was later reduced, and he was due for release in April 2030. However, concerns about his declining health and safety in prison had been raised by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in 2019. The charges against Lin, who denied any wrongdoing, are often used against leaders of churches that operate outside state-sponsored faith groups.
Diplomatic Efforts Pay Off
The Biden administration has been actively working on Lin’s case, as well as those of other wrongly detained Americans in China, for years. The State Department has raised these cases at every meeting with senior Chinese officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos this summer. These diplomatic efforts aim to keep communication open between Washington and Beijing despite escalating tensions.
A Joyous Reunion
Lin’s daughter, Alice, shared the news of her father’s release with Bob Fu, a longtime supporter and founder of China Aid, an US-based advocacy group for persecuted activists in China. Fu shared a screenshot of the text message, which read, ”Praise God! We got the call late last night!!! Dad is free and over Alaska now.” The pastor has now returned to the United States and has been reunited with his family.
Ongoing Concerns for Other Detainees
While Lin’s release is a welcome development, there are still other Americans detained in China on questionable charges. These include Kai Li, a businessman accused of espionage, and Mark Swidan, who was sentenced on drug charges. The State Department has designated both individuals as “wrongful detainees,” and their cases continue to be a priority for the US government.
Conclusion
David Lin’s release from a Chinese prison after 20 years is a testament to the power of diplomacy and advocacy. As the US and China navigate complex diplomatic relations, the release of wrongly detained Americans remains a crucial issue. The Biden administration’s efforts have secured Lin’s freedom, and it is hoped that similar progress will be made in the cases of other detained Americans.
Keywords: David Lin, California pastor, China, prison, release, US Commission on International Religious Freedom, advocacy groups, Biden administration, State Department, Antony Blinken, China Aid, Bob Fu, Kai Li, Mark Swidan, wrongful detainees.
To secure his freedom.
California Pastor Freed from Chinese Prison After 20 Years, Returns Home to the US
In a joyous and long-awaited moment, a California pastor, David Lin, has been freed from a Chinese prison after nearly 20 years behind bars. The 68-year-old pastor was detained in 2006, convicted of contract fraud, and sentenced to life in prison. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and advocacy groups, Lin’s release is a significant victory for the Biden administration, which has been working
