Three Americans held captive in China for many years have been freed.
politikoThe newspaper, which first reported the story, claimed that Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung were released as part of a prisoner exchange between the US and China.
Swidan, 48, from Texas, was arrested 12 years ago on suspicion of manufacturing and trafficking drugs. He then underwent a grueling five-and-a-half year trial and was then given a death sentence, suspended for two years. A court upheld that death sentence last year.
of Tekka FoundationThe San Francisco-based prisoner advocacy nonprofit claims the evidence against Swidan is “entirely circumstantial,” and in 2020 the United Nations determined Swidan's detention was “arbitrary,” Politico reported. Ta.
“I'm just happy and excited. I can't believe it,” his mother Katherine Swidan said after hearing the news of her son's release.
His family had previously expressed concerns about his health and possible suicidal thoughts.
Mr. Lee and Mr. Leung were convicted of espionage.
According to reports, Li, a 60-year-old Chinese immigrant living in New York, was arrested by Shanghai police in September 2016. AP. In July 2018, a court sentenced him to 10 years in prison, which the United Nations later described as “arbitrary,” “political and non-criminal,” and “at least partly due to his This is due to his status as a foreigner.” It’s a Chinese heritage,” Politico said.
Lee suffered a stroke while in prison. CBS News Reported.
Leung, 78, a permanent resident of Hong Kong, was arrested in 2021 on charges of spying in China on behalf of American intelligence agencies since 1989. Last year, he was sentenced to: life in prison More than $70,000 in property was confiscated.
“Soon they will be back and reunited with their families for the first time in many years.”
CBS News and the Associated Press reported that the U.S. State Department classified all three as “unlawfully detained,” while Politico reported on Leon: CNN Described as a “veteran leader of several pro-China groups in the United States,” but neither the State Department nor the United Nations consider him to have been “unlawfully detained.”
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel was similarly vague about Leon's May 2023 case, cryptically saying, “With regard to the wrongful detention designation, that work is an ongoing review process.” He told CNN in a statement.
In any case, all three are now free and should return to the United States “within hours,” a senior White House official said, according to Politico.
“They will soon return home and be reunited with their families for the first time in years,” the White House said in a statement.
A statement from the national security spokesperson said there are no longer any Americans unjustly detained in China, adding, “Thanks to the efforts of the current administration and diplomacy with China, there are no Americans unjustly detained in China. All the people have returned home.”
They will be taken to Brooke Army Medical Center outside San Antonio, Texas, which is equipped to perform psychological evaluations on former hostages and help them readjust to society.
The men were taken into U.S. custody in exchange for an “unidentified Chinese national,” CNN reported. The US also officially lowered its travel advisory level for China from 3 to 2, encouraging Americans to “heighten their vigilance” for the country rather than “reconsider” traveling to the communist country. .
The Chinese embassy in Washington declined CNN's request for comment.
The release of the detainees comes at the end of the Biden-Harris administration, with some media outlets declaring it a last-ditch victory for the outgoing administration.
The announcement also comes days after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to impose 10% tariffs on Chinese goods in retaliation for reports that China was manufacturing and shipping fentanyl to the United States. Ta.
“These tariffs will remain in effect until we stop drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal aliens from invading our country!” Trump wrote. society of truth on monday.
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