For 11 years, Mark Swidan has languished in a Chinese prison on charges no one believes. ‘If this were a politically connected person, he would have been out a long time ago.’
I'm disappointed that The Free Press printed this. "54 Americans wrongly held." I'm glad there are people like Mr. Sadovnik who research those arrestees so thoroughly. I think he missed at least one, though...we saw video of Brittney Griner carrying vape cartridges through an airport. In many locations in this country, we might be similarly arrested.
I think the author also forgot(?) to make any mention of the espionage charges and exile of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden relentlessly pursued by a rogue diplomacy.
If this guy needs visibility he should transition to a woman, demand to be transferred to the lady's prison, etc. The entire Biden administration would be behind her in no time and she'd be out in short order.
This makes me very sad. It makes me very, very angry. Shame on Biden, Trump and Obama administrations for this. High profile alt lifestyle athletes warrant an unreasonably high trade value in exchange for a true villain and enemy of the U.S.. Not right, and hopefully Cruz will be joined by others in continuing to beat the drum on this.
I subscribe to this news service to get a clearer, more honest take on the news. I hoped that the comments section would be full of smart people sharing opinions civilly with each other. I read plenty of obviously smart people, many who seem they need to prove this. How do the bullies manage to ruin civil discourse everywhere? Every issue here cannot boil down to how Trump and/or Biden is/was destroying the country. Let’s be civil to each other. Listening to understand is the only way we can move forward.
I was very briefly detained at the China Hong Kong border in 2018. I was visiting Guangzhou on a business trip cementing a deal with our Chinese business partner. A colleague was on another line clearing passport control. He was detained as well though there was no communication between us.
The border guards examined our documents and ultimately let us go. This occurred at the time of the arrest of the Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada.
I can only conclude that the authorities were looking for two people to hold hostage and decided that my colleague and I were small fry. The authorities arrested two others and held them in harsh conditions until the Huawei executive was let go.
This is so frustrating and sad. Not only Mark, but the thousands, probably millions, of innocent people wrongly imprisoned, tortured, even killed by the China regime. We should not be trading with this odious regime or allowing our citizens to go there. Treat them like the pariah they are, like North Korea, and encourage the people to finally take back their country after centuries of oppression.
"The factory next door where, Swidan said, prisoners were forced to make silk flowers. The factory’s clients included Walmart and Hobby Lobby—or, at least, he had reason to assume as much. Jason Poblete, the president of Global Liberty Alliance, a nonprofit that lobbies for the release of Americans wrongly held overseas, told me he had seen notes in which Swidan described slave labor but was not at liberty to share them.
In a July 2022 letter to Walmart’s general counsel, Poblete noted that Swidan had described “atrocious work conditions, including prisoner lashings and workers being forced to make silk flowers with bloody fingertips.” There was “a ruthless punishment” for prisoners who didn’t meet production quotas: “a ‘human clothesline’ where prisoners are tied to a rope line hands up, naked, and are then lashed.”"
This is some sick s***. Again, one of the hundreds of reasons I don't buy things Made in China. I don't like having blood on my hands.
Also Mylene was probably looking for a way to immigrate & leave the Phillippines, so it was easy for her to "move on" and find some other man who could sponsor her.
Moral of the story: don't buy things Made in China.
I don't.
That garbage flooring & light fixtures will leach Lead, Asbestos, Arsenic & God know what else into your house. Your Mesothelioma hospital bills will be much more than whatever you "saved" by buying garbage. Not to mention the garbage flooring & light fixtures will break in 1-2 years, so you'll have to spend time & money buying more. You will spend more time & money re-buying & re-buying when you could have just gone to Home Depot, bought good quality local flooring & light fixtures & saved yourself all the troubles.
I hope Mark Swidan & other prisoners are able to come home soon.
Swidan just finally got released! This story had a big emotional impact on me. I remembered his name. And today I saw it in the WSJ, thankfully connected to the good news: https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-releases-three-american-prisoners-in-swap-with-u-s-a01468fd?st=Kqfz6r&reflink=article_copyURL_share
Is there an update on this?
I'm disappointed that The Free Press printed this. "54 Americans wrongly held." I'm glad there are people like Mr. Sadovnik who research those arrestees so thoroughly. I think he missed at least one, though...we saw video of Brittney Griner carrying vape cartridges through an airport. In many locations in this country, we might be similarly arrested.
I think the author also forgot(?) to make any mention of the espionage charges and exile of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden relentlessly pursued by a rogue diplomacy.
Sad
If this guy needs visibility he should transition to a woman, demand to be transferred to the lady's prison, etc. The entire Biden administration would be behind her in no time and she'd be out in short order.
This makes me very sad. It makes me very, very angry. Shame on Biden, Trump and Obama administrations for this. High profile alt lifestyle athletes warrant an unreasonably high trade value in exchange for a true villain and enemy of the U.S.. Not right, and hopefully Cruz will be joined by others in continuing to beat the drum on this.
I subscribe to this news service to get a clearer, more honest take on the news. I hoped that the comments section would be full of smart people sharing opinions civilly with each other. I read plenty of obviously smart people, many who seem they need to prove this. How do the bullies manage to ruin civil discourse everywhere? Every issue here cannot boil down to how Trump and/or Biden is/was destroying the country. Let’s be civil to each other. Listening to understand is the only way we can move forward.
I was very briefly detained at the China Hong Kong border in 2018. I was visiting Guangzhou on a business trip cementing a deal with our Chinese business partner. A colleague was on another line clearing passport control. He was detained as well though there was no communication between us.
The border guards examined our documents and ultimately let us go. This occurred at the time of the arrest of the Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada.
I can only conclude that the authorities were looking for two people to hold hostage and decided that my colleague and I were small fry. The authorities arrested two others and held them in harsh conditions until the Huawei executive was let go.
No more travel to China for me.
#WeareMS will start going viral on Twitter if it's me alone doing it.
This is horrifying and shook me to the core.
This is so frustrating and sad. Not only Mark, but the thousands, probably millions, of innocent people wrongly imprisoned, tortured, even killed by the China regime. We should not be trading with this odious regime or allowing our citizens to go there. Treat them like the pariah they are, like North Korea, and encourage the people to finally take back their country after centuries of oppression.
The USA is emulating China's methods of silencing people they don't like. Be very afraid.
Terrible story. What can be done to help him get released?
"The factory next door where, Swidan said, prisoners were forced to make silk flowers. The factory’s clients included Walmart and Hobby Lobby—or, at least, he had reason to assume as much. Jason Poblete, the president of Global Liberty Alliance, a nonprofit that lobbies for the release of Americans wrongly held overseas, told me he had seen notes in which Swidan described slave labor but was not at liberty to share them.
In a July 2022 letter to Walmart’s general counsel, Poblete noted that Swidan had described “atrocious work conditions, including prisoner lashings and workers being forced to make silk flowers with bloody fingertips.” There was “a ruthless punishment” for prisoners who didn’t meet production quotas: “a ‘human clothesline’ where prisoners are tied to a rope line hands up, naked, and are then lashed.”"
This is some sick s***. Again, one of the hundreds of reasons I don't buy things Made in China. I don't like having blood on my hands.
Also Mylene was probably looking for a way to immigrate & leave the Phillippines, so it was easy for her to "move on" and find some other man who could sponsor her.
Moral of the story: don't buy things Made in China.
I don't.
That garbage flooring & light fixtures will leach Lead, Asbestos, Arsenic & God know what else into your house. Your Mesothelioma hospital bills will be much more than whatever you "saved" by buying garbage. Not to mention the garbage flooring & light fixtures will break in 1-2 years, so you'll have to spend time & money buying more. You will spend more time & money re-buying & re-buying when you could have just gone to Home Depot, bought good quality local flooring & light fixtures & saved yourself all the troubles.
I hope Mark Swidan & other prisoners are able to come home soon.
So tragic. Thank you for exposing this situation.