China releases American pastor who US says was wrongly jailed for nearly 20 years

After nearly two decades, an American pastor detained in China has been released and returned to the United States, officials announced on Sunday.

David Lin, 68, had been detained since 2006, and had received a life sentence for contract fraud from the Chinese government.

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

In an interview with Politico , Lin’s daughter, Alice Lin, confirmed that her father had been released from prison and was returning to San Antonio, Texas.

“No words can express the joy we have – we have a lot of time to make up for,” Alice Lin said.

Detained since 2006

Lin first began traveling to China on missionary trips in the 1990s, according to ChinaAid , a U.S.-based Christian advocacy group. As a pastor, Lin participated in the house church movement, conducting religious gatherings in private homes.

“Those who participate in and lead house churches often face intimidation, harassment, arrest, and harsh sentences,” the Unites States Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote in 2019.

Lin was detained in 2006, and subsequently accused of contract fraud in 2009 and sentenced to life in prison. While he continued to deny all charges, Lin’s sentence was ultimately reduced and he had been scheduled for release in 2030.

With Lin’s release, there are still two other American citizens who the United States says are being wrongfully imprisoned in China – New York businessman Kai Li and Texas businessman Mark Swidan.

Reuters reported that a congressional commission is set to be held next Wednesday on American citizens detained in China, including Lin, Li, and Swidan.

Contributing: Reuters

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China releases American pastor who US says was wrongly jailed for nearly 20 years