China released underground church pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who had been detained since October, his family and rights groups said on Sunday after his arrival in Los Angeles.
The release came less than two months after US President Donald Trump raised Jin’s case with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing.
Who is Pastor Ezra Zinn?
Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007, and it numbered about 1,500 members before authorities forced it to close in 2018.
He moved his family to the United States after the church was targeted by authorities but later returned to China despite the risks. His daughter told US lawmakers last year that she had not seen her father for six years.
Jin’s case attracted international attention after Trump said he had also discussed the detention of Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai with Xi during a visit to Beijing. Lai is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Hong Kong.
The family thanked Trump and Xi
Jin’s family said his release came unexpectedly and credited both Trump and Xi for making it possible.
“We thank God for this tremendous miracle,” Jin’s daughter Grace said in a statement shared with AFP news agency by a church member.
“We hope this signals a positive change for people of faith in China and for relations between our two countries.”
After returning from Beijing in May, Trump said he had asked Xi to release Jin. According to Trump, Xi responded that he would “strongly consider” the request.
Christian advocacy group ChinaAid welcomed Jin’s release, saying he arrived safely in Los Angeles on Saturday after being imprisoned in the southern Chinese city of Beihai since October.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House also did not immediately comment.
Church leaders are in custody
Jin was one of 18 leaders of Beijing’s underground Zion Church who were detained in October and accused of illegally using the information network. His daughter, Grace Jin, said eight church members were in custody.
Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch wrote on X, “At least eight members of the Zion Church are detained in China.” “They should all be released.”
Zion Church is one of the largest unregistered Protestant churches in China. Like other domestic churches, it operates outside the state-sanctioned religious system, requiring worshipers to attend officially registered congregations.
China’s ruling Communist Party, which is officially atheist, has tightened controls on religion under Xi, promoting the “Sinicization” of faith groups by demanding greater loyalty to the state.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez