The families of four Americans detained in China are pleading with the U.S. government to take action to bring their loved ones home. These individuals have been detained in China for at least eight years, facing physical and mental suffering. The Congressional-Executive Commission of China highlighted the issue, emphasizing that more Americans are detained in China than in any other foreign country. The families of Kai Li, Mark Swidan, Dawn Michelle Hunt, and Nelson Wells Jr. shared their stories, shedding light on the harrowing conditions their loved ones are facing.
Kai Li, serving a 10-year sentence in a Shanghai jail, has reportedly suffered a stroke and lost a tooth, spending significant time locked in a cell during the COVID-19 pandemic. His son, Harrison Li, described the mental and physical anguish his father is enduring, calling for his release. Nelson Wells Jr., jailed since 2014 for unwitting drug possession, is also experiencing debilitating chronic pain, seizures, malnutrition, and severe depression. His father appealed for a pathway to bring his son home, expressing frustration at the lack of progress in resolving the situation.
Dawn Hunt, serving life in prison in Guangdong, was tricked into carrying drugs into mainland China unknowingly. Her brother, Tim Hunt, choked up as he asked for assistance in helping her. Hunt has developed ailments but has refused surgeries due to distrust. The families emphasized the mistreatment and abuse their loved ones are facing in Chinese prisons, highlighting the need for action from the U.S. government. Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Zach Nunn condemned China’s practice of hostage diplomacy and called for justice for the wrongfully detained Americans.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington defended its legal system, stating that criminal suspects are handled strictly in accordance with the law. However, the U.S. State Department advises reconsidering travel to China, citing the risk of wrongful detentions as a significant concern. Mark Swidan, who has been imprisoned in China for 12 years on a drug charge, is also considered wrongfully detained by the State Department. His mother, Katherine Swidan, pleaded for her son’s freedom and urged the U.S. government to intervene. The hearing underscored the urgent need for action to bring these Americans home and hold China accountable for its treatment of detained individuals.
