China frees David Lin, American pastor who U.S. government says was wrongfully detained for 18 years
Source: CBS News
World
China frees David Lin, American pastor who U.S. government says was wrongfully detained for 18 years
By Ramy Inocencio
September 16, 2024 / 6:31 AM EDT / CBS News
China's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday typically sees families reunite and give thanks, much like Thanksgiving in America. This year, Chinese-American pastor David Lin will have much to be thankful for when the holiday is marked on Tuesday. In a surprise move, Beijing freed the 68-year-old Sunday after he spent nearly 20 years in prison in a case the U.S. government and his family have always dismissed as baseless.
Lin entered China in 2006 and attempted to establish a Christian training center in Beijing. China's Communist Party disapproves of such activities and routinely roots out underground Christian churches, seeing them as a threat to its power. Only officially-sanctioned, closely monitored churches are permitted under the Communist Party's rule.
Lin was detained the same year he arrived, then in 2009 he was handed a life sentence after being convicted of fraud. The charge is often applied to home church leaders who try to raise money for expansion, according to the Dui Hua Foundation human rights group.
The U.S. State Department, which always maintained that Lin was wrongfully detained by China, confirmed his release on Sunday. The Chinese government did not make any public comment on Lin's release during the long holiday weekend.
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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-david-lin-pastor-released-us-says-wrongfully-detained-18-years/
RussBLib
(9,490 posts)...better than a life sentence, I guess.
A "Christian Training Center"? I'll borrow that old argument....we got Christians here in the US in sore need of some "training." How about we fix our own Christians here before we go proselytizing overseas?
https://russblib.blogspot.com/?m=1
sinkingfeeling
(52,634 posts)former9thward
(33,095 posts)Odds are at 68 he has developed health issues and the Chinese wanted to get rid of him.
maxsolomon
(34,506 posts)No doubt there was some quid pro quo but that's normal.
Lin rotted away during MFer's term - just like the poor bastards in Rusher. Didn't lift a finger.
Gary 50
(390 posts)and give this guy one million dollars for each year they stole from his life.
newdeal2
(581 posts)Glad hes free but its quite stupid to go to China and not expect this result.
AZLD4Candidate
(6,118 posts)foreigners, especially ABCs (as they call them) and then hold them indefinitely due to "national security."
Anyone in China that isn't Chinese born there needs to get out now. The CCP is radically xenophobic and hates "xiang jiao ren" (bananas to translate) the most. I fear for my wife when she goes back to visit family.