US Lawmakers Push Trump to Free "Wrongfully Detained" Americans in China

As cited by the CFU release, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan resolution, urging that the issue of "wrongfully detained individuals" be made a priority in engagements with China. The resolution also names Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, as well as Hong Kong media figure Jimmy Lai.

The CFU emphasised that support from both Republicans and Democrats sends a "clear and unambiguous message" that defending human rights and securing the release of political prisoners remains a core American value.

Quoting Rushan Abbas, founder and executive director of CFU, the release highlighted the personal dimension of the issue. "My sister, Gulshan Abbas, has spent nearly eight years in a Chinese prison unjustly, in direct retaliation for my advocacy for Uyghur people's rights as an American citizen," she said. She further added that the upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping presents a crucial opportunity to secure her sister's release.

According to the CFU statement, Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical professional and grandmother, was "forcibly disappeared" in September 2018 in Urumqi, days after Rushan Abbas spoke publicly in Washington about alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs. The organisation claims she was later sentenced in secret proceedings on what it describes as "fabricated charges" and is currently suffering from severe medical conditions as she enters her eighth year in detention.

The release also details other cases. Pastor Jin Mingri has allegedly been held without access to diabetes medication or family contact since October 2025. Similarly, Pang Yu, the wife of Pastor Gao Quanfu, has reportedly been denied critical prescription medication since June 2025 despite not holding any official church role. Meanwhile, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2026 under national security charges that the CFU says have been widely condemned as politically motivated.

The CFU has urged that the release of all named individuals be placed at the top of the agenda for a proposed May 2026 summit between Trump and Xi Jinping, stating that "the window to act is now."

The organisation also referenced Rushan Abbas's book Unbroken: One Uyghur's Fight for Freedom, which recounts her family's struggle, including the detention of her sister, and broader allegations concerning the treatment of Uyghurs in China.

According to the CFU, the resolution has garnered additional bipartisan support from Senators Tim Kaine, Chuck Grassley, Mitch McConnell, Jeff Merkley, Shelley Moore Capito, Brian Schatz, Angela Alsobrooks, Pete Ricketts, Chris Van Hollen, Ted Budd, and John Curtis, underscoring what the organisation describes as unified political backing for the initiative.

- ANI