(Reuters) – China has freed David Lin, a U.S. pastor who had been in jail since 2006, the State Division mentioned on Sunday, marking the discharge of a person who Washington claims was wrongfully detained.
U.S. politicians had for years urged Beijing to free Lin, who was jailed for all times on costs of contract fraud.
“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,” mentioned a State Division spokesperson.
Lin’s daughter Alice earlier advised Politico that her 68-year-old father could be arriving in San Antonio, Texas.
“No words can express the joy we have — we have a lot of time to make up for,” Politico quoted her as saying.
Final November, the chairman of the U.S. Senate International Relations Committee urged President Joe Biden to make use of a gathering with Chinese language President Xi Jinping to push for the discharge of Lin and two different detainees – Kai Li and Mark Swidan.
Washington says the three have been wrongfully detained. China says such instances are dealt with based on legislation.
A congressional fee is because of maintain a listening to subsequent Wednesday on the case of Americans imprisoned in China, particularly Lin, Li and Swidan, which it mentioned had all confronted well being points.
