Cruz, Cornyn renew calls for release of Mark Swidan from China

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U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are calling on China to release Mark Swidan, a Houston resident, who has been detained within the nation for greater than 10 years on drug costs.

Swidan was detained in China in 2012 whereas on a visit wanting for supplies for his residence and enterprise in Houston. Chinese authorities arrested him after his driver and translator had been present in possession of medicine. The driver blamed Swidan, who’s accused of trafficking and manufacturing methamphetamine.

Swidan had no medicine on him or in his resort room and information present he was not in China on the time of the alleged offense, based on a review of Swidan’s case compiled in 2019 by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

The two Texas Republicans, who launched a decision calling for Swidan’s release, are drumming up consideration to the decade-old case as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to satisfy with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang this week.

Blinken “will have an opportunity to finish the final chapter of this tragedy,” Cruz mentioned on the Senate ground Wednesday. “I’m calling on the Biden administration to use all of the tools at our disposal to secure Mark’s release.”

U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, is carrying an analogous decision for Swidan within the House.

“Bringing Mark Swidan home to his family should be a top priority for this administration,” Cloud mentioned in a press release saying the decision. “Too many innocent Americans remain wrongfully imprisoned by authoritarian regimes who are happy to collect human lives as a capital for future political bargaining.”

The calls for his release come after two Texans had been launched final 12 months from Russia — Brittney Griner, a WNBA participant, and a former Marine Trevor Reed. Griner was arrested in Russia final 12 months for carrying vape canisters and hashish oil in her baggage. Reed was also released from Russia final 12 months after being arrested in 2019 when he was taken to jail for public intoxication. Both had been launched in swaps for Russian prisoners detained within the U.S.

Swidan was arrested alongside 11 others who Chinese authorities mentioned had been half of a corporation manufacturing medicine. But, the 11 couldn’t establish him, based on the U.N. report.

Swidan’s conviction relied on proof that he as soon as visited a manufacturing unit that police discovered had as soon as been used to fabricate medicine, based on the Dui Hua Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on gaining clemency and higher remedy for detainees.

The Dui Hua Foundation report mentioned that Swidan has misplaced greater than 100 kilos since being detained.

The U.N. overview additionally highlighted Swidan’s deteriorating well being and the grim situations he has been detained in, including that he has been subjected to “severe psychological torture for the purpose of extracting a confession.”

Swidan was detained in 2012 for 5 years all through the period of his trial. He was finally sentenced to demise in 2019 — a ruling that he appealed however continues to be awaiting a choice on. His mom, Katherine Swidan, who’s a resident of Luling, has not seen a photo of him for practically a decade and has not been in a position to converse to him since 2018.

“This ordeal has got to end,” Cruz mentioned. “It has to end for Mark. It has to end for his mother. It has to end for his family. We must and will do more so that Mark can come home.”