In a letter Friday, two members of Congress called on President Biden to further advocate for the release of Americans unjustly detained in China.
“American citizens are serving long prison sentences in China,” the Congressional Executive Committee on China said in a statement. “They have been severely abused and suffer from severe physical and mental health problems due to lack of adequate nutrition and medical care.” Care in Chinese prisons. They deserve a tenacious defense to obtain their release. ”
The group, chaired by Rep. Christopher Smith (R.N.J.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), cited Foley Foundation statistics that say the number of Americans wrongly detained will increase by 2023. It said there had been a 42 per cent decline worldwide since 2016, and that the low numbers were “partly your fault”. [Biden’s] The administration negotiated the release of prisoners with Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. ”
They noted that Americans detained in China serve an average of 12 years in prison and encouraged Biden to secure their release through talks with President Xi Jinping. They mentioned Kai Li, an American national who spent more time in prison than Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovic and Ars Kurmasheva combined.
“This has to change,” they urged.
Both men and another detainee, Mark Swidan, were deemed to have been “unlawfully detained” under the standards set by the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Act.
The bill, signed into law in 2020, created a formal system to track U.S. hostages and the role of the President's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which includes a mandate to lead diplomatic engagement regarding U.S. hostage policy and rescue efforts.
In the letter, the lawmakers asked Biden to facilitate check-in of prisoners from U.S. consulates, as well as meet with families of detained nationals and provide regular updates on their status. asked to provide it.
Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt, both black, are also detained by the Chinese government. Lawmakers said they had heard “compelling” testimony from families who said they had been “targeted” by other prisoners because of their race and that they were currently “unable or willing to be adequately dealt with by the Chinese authorities.” He said he was facing a life-threatening health condition.
Lawmakers are calling for immediate extradition to the U.S.
“Although we are not naming everyone, these cases are representative of many others that require immediate and sustained attention for transfers from Chinese prisons and return to the United States.” says the letter.
Earlier this month, an American pastor jailed in China for contract fraud was released for the first time in 18 years, and lawmakers hope his case won't be the last.
