China Releases US Pastor David Lin After Nearly 20 Years in Prison

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China has released David Lin, a US pastor who had been imprisoned since 2006, according to the US State Department. Lin, 68, had been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of contract fraud. The US government had urged China to release him, designating his detention as wrongful.

The State Department confirmed that Lin has returned to the United States and reunited with his family after almost two decades of imprisonment. Lin’s daughter, Alice, shared that the family was overjoyed by his return.

Lin’s case is one of several involving US citizens detained in China. These include businessman Kai Li, who was accused of espionage in 2016, and Mark Swidan. While the US government considers their detentions wrongful, China maintains that the cases are handled according to legal procedures.

Lin’s release follows discussions between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. US officials expressed hope that further diplomacy could lead to the release of other detained US citizens.

A congressional hearing on the cases of US citizens imprisoned in China is set to take place this week.