David Lin, an American pastor who had been detained in China since 2006, has been released, the U.S. State Department confirmed. Lin’s freedom comes after years of advocacy by U.S. politicians, who argued that he was wrongfully imprisoned on contract fraud charges.
In an official statement, the State Department announced, “We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China,” marking the end of lengthy diplomatic efforts. Washington had repeatedly pushed for his release, raising concerns over Lin’s detention during discussions with Chinese officials about human rights and legal fairness.
Lin, who had been serving a life sentence, is now back in the United States, reunited with his family after nearly two decades. A State Department spokesperson confirmed his return, and according to Reuters, Lin is currently with his loved ones in the U.S.
His daughter, Alice Lin, shared the emotional moment with Politico, revealing that her 68-year-old father had arrived in San Antonio, Texas. “No words can express the joy we feel — we have a lot of time to make up for,” Alice said.
In the past, U.S. senators, including the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had urged President Biden to advocate for Lin’s release during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Alongside Lin, two other Americans, Kai Li and Mark Swidan, were also deemed wrongfully detained by the U.S. government. However, China has maintained that these cases were handled according to its laws.