Pastor Jin Freed, but Eight Zion Church Members Still Detained—and Beijing Won't Explain How

Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, founder of Beijing's banned Zion Church, has been released and arrived in Los Angeles as of July 5, 2026. Yet eight fellow church members remain imprisoned. China has disclosed nothing about how Jin was freed—whether through formal pardon, commutation, or administrative decision. That silence matters: Beijing typically avoids confirming prisoner releases as responses to foreign pressure. The opacity lets both governments claim victory while keeping the transaction deniable.