US pastor regains freedom from Chinese prison after 18 years

-


David Lin's daughter believes White House adviser Jake Sullivan (left) had a hand in her father's release (Reuters)



An American pastor detained in China for almost 20 years has been released from prison and flown home to his family in Texas.

David Lin, 68, was given a life sentence in 2006 on charges that the US says were bogus, after he was convicted of fraud for helping an underground church launch a meeting centre in Beijing.

His release took place just weeks after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met China's foreign minister in the Chinese capital.

His daughter, Alice, told Politico: "No words can express the joy we have - we have a lot of time to make up for."

She added the US State Department contacted her on Saturday to confirm Chinese authorities had released her father from prison and that he would be flying into San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday.

"We welcome David Lin's release from prison in the People's Republic of China," a State Department spokesperson said.

"He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years."

The timing of Jake Sullivan's meeting with foreign minister Wang Yi indicates he may have had a hand in the negotiations that lead to Mr Lin's release.

"I know that Jake Sullivan did raise my dad’s case," his daughter told Politico.

While incarcerated, Mr Lin missed his daughter's wedding and the birth of his grandson.

His release comes days ahead of a congressional hearing focused on US citizens detained in China, of whom there are estimated to be 200.

Two other Americans, Mark Swidan and Kai Li, are considered to be unjustly imprisoned by the State Department. Swidan is currently on death row for alleged drug trafficking.

All are said to be experiencing health issues.

China does not recognise dual nationality, meaning people who hold both an American and Chinese passport are regarded as Chinese citizens by Beijing.


Read original story on the BBC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

United States grand jury indicts Nigerian Catholic priest on three felony sexual assault charges

-
Image
  Anthony Odiong is accused of sexual assault by at least eight women whom the priest had been counseling Ramon Antonio Vargas The criminal case that authorities are building against a Roman Catholic priest accused of preying on women whom he met while working in south-east Louisiana and Texas is progressing, with a grand jury in the latter state indicting him on three felony sexual assault charges. Anthony Odiong, 55, faces two counts of second-degree sexual assault as well as one of first-degree sexual assault in the charges handed up against him recently in the McLennan county, Texas, state court. The charges against Odiong – who was first arrested in July – involve two women. He could receive up to life imprisonment if convicted of the first-degree charge, a stiffer penalty that stems from the fact that the alleged victim in the case was a woman whom Odiong was prohibited from “marrying or purporting to marry” under Texas law. The second-degree counts each carry up to 20 years in p
Read more

EMPLOYMENT: Chevron Nigeria begins recruitment for engineers, data scientists, financial analysts

-
Image
  Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), a multinational energy firm, says qualified candidates can now apply for multiple roles in the organisation. Announcing the recruitment opportunity in an advertisement in The Guardian on Thursday, Chevron invited professionals passionate about building a career with the company to apply. The multinational also encouraged individuals desiring to make a difference, share their values, and are ready to contribute to a dynamic and innovative team to submit applications. According to the company, vacant positions include attorney, commercial coordinator, communications coordinator, communications representative, HSE specialist, data scientist, decision analyst, facilities engineer, financial analyst, senior facilities engineer, HR generalist, geophysicist, wells engineer, senior security information specialist, petroleum engineer, and software engineer. “Apply online at https://careers.chevron.com/nigeria and browse through the list of open jobs for your pos
Read more

Flashback! Man marries his own mother after impregnating her

-
Image
  woman married her own son in Zimbabwe.  The woman and her son claim to be in love with each other and they decided to take their relationship to the next level and get married considering that the mother, Betty Mbereko (from Mwenezi in Masvingo) is now six months pregnant and expecting her son’s child, and her grandchild. Mbereko, 40, has been a widow for the past 12 years and has been living with her 23-years-old son Farai Mbereko. She confirmed that she is six months pregnant and that she has decided it is better to “marry” her son because she does not want to marry her late husband’s young brothers, whom she says are coveting her. Betty stunned a village court last week when she said the affair with her son had begun three years earlier. She said after spending a lot of money sending Farai to school following the death of her husband, she felt she had a right to his money and no other woman was entitled to it. “Look, I struggled alone to send my son to school and no one helped me.
Read more