WASHINGTON, DC – President and Founder Diane Foley commented, “The Foley Foundation is overjoyed to welcome home three fellow Americans – Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, each of whom has been wrongfully detained in China for years! We commend the Biden administration for its moral courage, perseverance, and skill in negotiating on behalf of our fellow citizens. What a blessed Thanksgiving gift for their families!” These releases are a long time coming for all of their families. This month, for example, marked 12 years since Swidan was initially detained. These lengthy detentions underscore how difficult it has been to secure the release of Americans wrongfully detained in China despite the efforts of successive presidential administrations.
The release of these Americans held captive highlights the importance of advocacy in bringing Americans home. The families of Li and Swidan have been active members of the Bring Our Families Home Campaign, a family-led advocacy group that petitions the US government for the return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. The Campaign has achieved many successful releases – 14 from multiple countries before this year plus the return of Paul Whelan (from Russia) in August and Pastor David Lin (from China) in September in 2024. Three others for whom the Campaign advocates – Shahab Dalili (held in Iran), Zack Shahin (held in the UAE), and Andre Khachatoorian (held in Russia) – remain captive.
The Foley Foundation is heartened by the recent progress the Biden administration has made in securing the release of Americans wrongfully detained in China. The difficult work of addressing the scourge of hostage diplomacy must continue. We are tracking seven Americans that after today’s releases remain wrongfully detained in China, including three that are subject to exit bans, unable to leave the country.
