China releases Ezra Jin Mingri, founder of the Zion Church, after he is detained for months following a crackdown on Christians. Multiple outlets report that Jin arrives in the United States—specifically Los Angeles—where he reunites with family after his release from detention in China. Jin had been detained on October 10 along with other church members, in what multiple reports describe as one of the largest detentions targeting a single church in decades. Sources say he and other members were detained on suspicion related to the alleged “illegal use of information networks.”
Several outlets link Jin’s release to engagement by the United States. Reports cite US President Donald Trump raising Jin’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing in May, with some accounts describing the move as coming weeks after that intervention. At least one rights group statement says Chinese officials told Jin that his release resulted from discussions between Trump and Xi and was presented as a goodwill gesture aligned with America’s Independence Day. Jin’s church and family confirm his release and his arrival in the US.
