American Pastor Detained In China For Nearly Two Decades Has Finally Returned Home

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:02 AM – Monday, September 16, 2024

68-year-old David Lin has finally been freed after being detained in a Chinese prison for nearly two decades. The United States claimed that Lin, a pastor, was wrongfully detained and had been a “top priority” for the Biden administration.

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Lin was detained in China in 2006 after he helped construct an Christian church building that was not approved by the Chinese government, later being sentenced to life in prison for “contract fraud.”

Many Chinese Christians participate in risky underground “house churches,” as Christianity is not recognized as a CCP-authorized religion and could land participants in jail for the offense.

“We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China,” a US State Department spokesperson said on Sunday. “He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years.”

Lin frequented China in the 1990s and began discreetly preaching in China in 1999, according to records from ChinaAid, a U.S.-based non-profit Christian human rights organization.

Lin was then detained in 2006 for his part in building an unapproved house church, as the Chinese Communist Party under Xi had cracked down on unauthorized religious gatherings.

Lin utilized his time in incarceration to share his Christian faith with other prisoners, and even started group prayer sessions, according to ChinaAid.

The State Department stated that it has ramped up efforts to free two other Americans wrongfully detained in China, businessmen Kai Li, and Mark Swidan, who are being detained on espionage and drug charges.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have been discussing the issue during their visits to China, classifying it as a “top priority.”

U.S. politicians have also chimed in, calling for the remaining American prisoners to be released from Chinese custody.

“I am extremely glad to hear David Lin was freed,” stated Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday. “However, Kai Li and Texan Mark Swidan still remain CCP prisoners – and must be freed now.”

The Bring Our Families Home Campaign, a group representing family members of Americans being held abroad, welcomed the news of Lin’s release and “applauds the efforts of the Biden administration in making David’s release possible.”

“Unfortunately, two other Americans – Kai Li and Mark Swidan – remain wrongfully detained in China,” the group wrote in a statement. “The Campaign is pleased to see that the administration has acknowledged this but urges President Biden to back this up by acting quickly and decisively to build on the momentum of David’s release and free Kai and Mark.”