Last year I met the mother of Mark Swidan, an American wrongly imprisoned in China -- 12 years ago.
"It’s just me and my best friend (mom) left!" he once wrote in a letter his mother could barely bring herself to read.
Tonight, Mark Swidan comes home.
thefp.com/p/a-prisoner-o…
"It’s just me and my best friend (mom) left!" he once wrote in a letter his mother could barely bring herself to read.
Tonight, Mark Swidan comes home.
thefp.com/p/a-prisoner-o…
For years, Swidan languished in prison. His fiancé left him. His body started to break down. His mother grew older, sicker, more desperate.
Everyone I interviewed said two things: This was a travesty of justice. And @USAmbChina played an important role in helping secure Mark's release.
Last year, the ambassador visited Swidan in prison to send a message to Beijing.
I love this story:
"After a guard led the ambassador into a holding room where Swidan was waiting, the guard told Burns that physical contact with the prisoner was strictly forbidden and that Swidan was barred from lowering his mask—in keeping with the detention center’s Covid regulations.
The ambassador, according to two sources briefed on the meeting, replied, 'In the United States, it’s customary to shake hands when you meet someone.'
He proceeded to shake hands with Swidan, who, until that moment, had not had physical contact with anyone outside prison since late 2012.
Then, the ambassador told Swidan, 'Lower your mask, son.'"
I love this story:
"After a guard led the ambassador into a holding room where Swidan was waiting, the guard told Burns that physical contact with the prisoner was strictly forbidden and that Swidan was barred from lowering his mask—in keeping with the detention center’s Covid regulations.
The ambassador, according to two sources briefed on the meeting, replied, 'In the United States, it’s customary to shake hands when you meet someone.'
He proceeded to shake hands with Swidan, who, until that moment, had not had physical contact with anyone outside prison since late 2012.
Then, the ambassador told Swidan, 'Lower your mask, son.'"
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