China releases American Pastor David Lin after 18 years in detention

Lin’s release follows years of advocacy from U.S. politicians who argued that he was wrongfully detained on charges of contract fraud.

China has released David Lin, an American pastor who had been imprisoned since 2006, according to the U.S. State Department.

Lin’s release follows years of advocacy from U.S. politicians who argued that he was wrongfully detained on charges of contract fraud.

“We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China,” the State Department said in a statement on Sunday.

The move comes after prolonged diplomatic efforts and appeals from Washington, which had consistently maintained that Lin’s incarceration was unjust.

Lin, who had been serving a life sentence, was a focal point in discussions between the U.S. and China over human rights and legal reforms.

Reuters reports that Lin has returned to the U.S. and is now reunited with his family for the first time in nearly 20 years, according to a State Department spokesperson.

Lin’s daughter, Alice, previously informed Politico that her 68-year-old father would be arriving in San Antonio, Texas.

“No words can express the joy we have — we have a lot of time to make up for,” Alice told Politico.

In November, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged President Joe Biden to use his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to advocate for the release of Lin and two other detainees, Kai Li and Mark Swidan.

The U.S. government claims that the three were wrongfully detained, while China asserts that such cases are managed according to the law.