U.S. Sen. Tim Scott said Pastor Ezra Jin, detained by Chinese authorities since October 2025, has been released from prison in China.
Based on a release from U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., issued a statement following the release of Pastor Ezra Jin from prison in China, according to the Office of U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
Jin had been abducted and imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party in October 2025 alongside other members of Zion Church, one of China’s largest underground congregations, according to the office.
“The Chinese Communist Party attempted to thwart Zion Church’s God-given right to worship, but by the grace of God and strong diplomatic pressure, Pastor Jin is free,” Scott said, according to the office. “America will always stand as a beacon for faith, freedom, and religious liberty. Every human has a right to praise his or her creator and no nation on God’s green Earth can take that away.”
According to the office, on Oct. 10, 2025, the Chinese Communist Party conducted the largest coordinated crackdown on a Christian urban house church in over four decades, arresting at least 22 pastors and church members from Zion Church, including Jin.
Scott, along with Senate colleagues, introduced a resolution condemning Jin’s abduction and calling for his release, according to the office. In March, Scott signed a bipartisan letter urging President Donald Trump to advocate for Jin’s release during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump later met with Xi Jinping and called for Jin’s release, according to the office.
The office also noted that Scott joined Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, in January to introduce a resolution calling for continued U.S. leadership on religious liberty and the right of all people to worship freely without fear of retribution.
Source: U.S. Sen. Tim Scott original release.
