(Minghui.org) On September 22, 2026, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) held a hearing focusing on individuals imprisoned and persecuted in China, families fighting for the release of their loved ones, and those facing overseas retaliation for speaking out. Cases involving Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, Uyghurs, and US citizens detained by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were among the topics discussed at the hearing.
Speakers who testified included Pastor Ezra Jin of the Beijing Zion Church (who was released after being detained for more than 260 days), Falun Gong spokesperson Erping Zhang, Rushan Abbas (founder and executive director of the Uyghur Movement), Nelson Wells Sr. (father of Nelson Wells, a US citizen detained by the Chinese authorities), and Tim Hunt (brother of Dawn Michelle Hunt, a US citizen also unjustly detained in China).
Congressman Smith: We Will Not Look Away
In his opening remarks, Congressman Chris Smith, co-chair of the CECC, called for the release of those imprisoned for their beliefs, speech, and advocacy of fundamental rights. He specifically mentioned Christians, US citizens, Uyghurs, and Falun Gong practitioners.
“Behind every statistic about political prisoners is a person with hopes and dreams, and a life filled with isolation and pain...” said Rep. Smith. “But today, we are here to say: we will not look away. The real cost is failing to speak out. Silence is not an option.
“Today, we appeal to Xi Jinping to release women and men of conscience and goodness—as a tangible good faith expression of good will, benevolence, respect, and strength.”
Congressman Chris Smith, co-chair of the CECC, addresses the hearing on September 22, 2026. (Minghui.org)
Congressman Smith said we must also remember the Falun Gong practitioners who have endured decades of persecution: “Falun Gong was banned by the Chinese government in 1999, and practitioners who refuse to renounce their beliefs have faced imprisonment, forced organ harvesting, and other forms of repression.
“The Commission’s 2025 annual report identified 485 Falun Gong practitioners among cases of active detention. But once again, the repression does not necessarily end at the prison gate.
“Falun Gong practitioners living here in the United States have reported surveillance, harassment, threats, physical assaults, property damage, and reprisals against relatives in China. The Justice Department has also prosecuted individuals for acting as agents of the People’s Republic of China in efforts targeting Falun Gong practitioners in the United States.
“Today’s hearing is a heartfelt appeal to Xi Jinping,” Congressman Smith concluded. “Let these wonderful people go.”
Member of Congress: Human Rights Issues Cannot Be Obscured by Diplomatic Relations
Congressman Jim McGovern, a member of the CECC, stated that one of the deepest fears of prisoners of conscience is the fear of being forgotten by the world. He said that the importance of human rights work lies in letting those unjustly imprisoned know that there are still people fighting for their freedom.
“Behind any list of names are real human beings. People who cannot see their families, live in their homes, pursue their aspirations, or enjoy basic freedoms,” he said.
Congressman McGovern addresses the hearing. (Minghui.org)
Congressman McGovern said that US foreign policy cannot abandon the human rights framework. Even if diplomatic negotiations can lead to the release of individual prisoners of conscience, the United States should still strive to prevent people from being unjustly imprisoned for political reasons.
Congressman Suhas Subramaniam addresses the hearing. (Minghui.org)
“I understand the importance of diplomacy and the importance of bilateral and multilateral relationships,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, “but I also understand that you don’t have to sacrifice that to bring up to the forefront human rights abuses, bring to the forefront the treatment of people, the treatment of American citizens abroad.”
He believes that human rights and the treatment of US citizens should be consistently raised in bilateral engagements with China.
Erping Zhang: Persecution of Falun Gong Extends from China to the United States
Falun Gong spokesperson Erping Zhang briefed the hearing on the Chinese Communist Party’s continued persecution of Falun Gong and the extent of the pressure, which extends to the United States.
Falun Gong spokesperson Zhang Erping Zhang addresses the hearing. (Minghui.org)
Zhang stated that the CCP began suppressing Falun Gong in 1999, and the persecution continues to this day. At the same time, threats, harassment, surveillance, and retaliation against overseas practitioners’ families have also occurred in the United States.
“The Minghui website, which collects reports from across China, has documented more than 5,300 deaths from abuse since 1999,” he said. “Last year, Chinese courts sentenced more than 550 people to prison for simply practicing Falun Gong, and the police arrested or harassed nearly 5,000 more.”
Some Americans’ family members are among the victims. Grace Chen, a US Army soldier, came to the United States at the age of fifteen to study music. In 2020, her parents were arrested and detained in China when they read Falun Gong books at a friend’s house. Zhang said that the two were later released, but Grace learned that her father had been subjected to torture during his detention, including being doused with cold water, subjected to sleep deprivation, scalded with hot water, and forced to drink urine. Because Grace is serving in the US military, she has not seen her parents for six years and always worries about their safety.
Zhang said the CCP has extended the persecution overseas, and cited documents from the US Department of Justice regarding the cases of John Chen and Lin Feng. The Justice Department documents show that the two men, acting on the CCP’s instructions, targeted Falun Gong practitioners in the United States and attempted to bribe an undercover agent who was posing as an IRS official to revoke the tax-exempt status of Falun Gong practitioners’ organizations. Both men later pleaded guilty; Lin was sentenced to 16 months in prison in September 2024, and Chen was sentenced to 20 months in prison that November.
According to an investigation by the Falun Gong Information Center (FDIC) in June 2026, more than 600 cases of transnational persecution in 30 states have been documented, affecting over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners in the US. Acts of persecution include physical violence, harassment, verbal attacks, threats of violence, surveillance, and retaliation against relatives in mainland China.
Since 2024, there have also been ongoing threats of violence and death against Falun Gong practitioners, their families, and Shen Yun Performing Arts’ artists, staff, and theaters where the company is scheduled to perform. Some of these threats have been made against US agencies and officials who support Falun Gong practitioners.
Zhang made two suggestions: “First, during Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit, we ask the [US] administration to raise the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong inside China, the transnational repression of practitioners in the United States, and to call for the release of those detained solely for their faith. Such engagement would reinforce the US commitment to human rights, national security, and protection of its citizens,” he said.
“Second, we urge Congress to advance the pending forced organ harvesting legislation and continue building on the transnational repression measures already introduced,” Zhang added. “In particular, we hope future efforts will address foreign-directed litigation used against Americans and ensure that the victims have a clear path to remedy.”
Pastor Ezra Jin Detained for More Than 260 Days
Ezra Jin, founder and pastor of Beijing Zion Church, recounted his experience of being detained for more than 260 days before he was released.
Ezra Jin (Minghui.org)
Jin said that the church has long been under pressure from the authorities. In 2018, hundreds of police officers forcibly closed worship locations in China. On October 9, 2025, simultaneous raids were launched in 11 cities across the country, resulting in the arrest of approximately 30 pastors and church leaders, with 18 people placed in criminal detention. As of July 2026, eight Zion Church members remain in custody.
Jin said he was initially charged with illegally using information networks, but the charges were later changed to illegal business operations and fraud. On July 3, 2026, he was released after being detained for more than 260 days, the prosecution withdrew the charges against him, and he was allowed to travel to the United States.
After he was released, Jin expressed concern about other people of faith who are still detained, and he called on the US Congress to continue to pay attention to the human rights situation of religious believers in China.
Rushan Abbas: The Pressure Has Also Affected Overseas Families
Rushan Abbas, founder and executive director of the Uyghur Movement, recounted the experience of her sister, Gulshan Abbas, when she was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Chinese authorities.
Rushan Abbas (Minghui.org)
Abbas said that her sister was taken away in September 2018, five days after she publicly spoke out in Washington about the mass detention of Uyghurs. Abbas said that she herself has faced death threats, cyberattacks, and interference from disinformation since she continued to speak out; her son’s wedding invitations were recently altered, and several relatives and friends are afraid to attend for fear of retaliation against their families in China.
Abbas also recounted her husband’s experience of being detained for nearly 22 hours in Malaysia and then deported back to the United States in March of this year. She called on the US Congress to continue to pay attention to her sister’s case and issues such as forced labor, family separation, and transnational repression.
Father Calls For His Son to Be Released
Nelson Wells Sr., the father of Nelson Wells Jr., an American citizen detained by the CCP, testified and called on the US government to push for his son’s release.
Nelson Wells Sr. (Minghui.org)
Mr. Wells said his son went to China in 2014. As he was preparing to leave, he was asked by someone to carry a bag, which Chinese authorities later alleged contained drugs. Nelson was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, which was later reduced to 22 years. He is currently expected to be released in 2041.
Mr. Wells said his son has been imprisoned for over 12 years and his health has deteriorated severely. Nelson’s 12-year-old daughter was born while he was detained and she has never met her father. She only knows him through photographs. Mr. Wells hopes his son and another American citizen detained in China, Dawn Michelle Hunt, will be released.
Tim Hunt: Sister Imprisoned for 12 Years
Tim Hunt, brother of Dawn Michelle Hunt, an American citizen detained by the CCP, testified about his sister’s physical and mental condition after twelve years of detention and he called on the US government to continue pushing for her release.
Tim Hunt (Minghui.org)
Hunt said he barely recognized his sister when he visited her in July. She was frail, visibly aged, hunched over, had difficulty maintaining eye contact and her attention wandered. She repeatedly asked when she would be released.
Hunt said that Dawn was unable to be with her father, Gene Hunt, when he passed away in January. He urged the US government to continue pushing for the release of his sister and other US citizens detained in China. He said twelve years is a very long time.
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