Posted on 04/21/2023 9:31:29 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
An American businessman arrested in Communist China over a decade on apparently flimsy charges of drug trafficking will be put to death, Chinese government officials have announced.
Mark Swidan, a Houston, Texas businessman, was arrested in November 2012 and sentenced to death in 2018 on charges he was in China to smuggle illegal drugs.
John Kamm, chairman of the Dui Hua human rights foundation, tells Newsweek “the only ‘evidence’ against him is that Swidan once visited a factory where Chinese authorities allege the meth was manufactured, and that he had been in a room rented by another person where drugs were found.” Swidan was also not in China at the time of the alleged drug trafficking and none of the alleged co-conspirators know who he is.
Swidan denies the charges and has refused to sign confessions.
Swidan appealed his sentence, which was recently upheld by a Chinese court. He has been held in the notoriously brutal Jiangmen Prison and subjected to psychological torture and physical abuse.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz is leading an effort in the U.S. Senate to secure Swidan’s release.
The Chinese Communist Party has unjustly detained Mark Swidan for over a decade. They have subjected him to physical and psychological abuse and atrocities. Today’s announcement is an escalation in this detention and abuse. It’s completely unacceptable,” said Cruz in a statement denouncing the upheld death sentence.
“Mark Swidan was convicted and sentenced to death on false charges. The Chinese court’s decision today is outrageous. It confirms that China is engaged in hostage taking and hostage blackmail. They aspire to be part of the community of nations, but these tactics are those used exclusively by Third World despots,” said Cruz.
“Mark’s conditions are dire. The Biden administration should use every tool available to secure Mark’s safe return to Texas. It is clear that the Chinese Communist Party is committed to continuing their blackmail until the U.S. uses appropriate leverage to secure his release,” said Cruz.
But the Biden administration would move heaven and earth to get him free if it were
Mark Swidan, a Houston, Texas trans businessman,
“Texas Senator Ted Cruz is leading an effort in the U.S. Senate to secure Swidan’s release.”
Don’t bother Ted, thanks to Biden’s bunch, China is now our ENEMY. Hell, they won’t even pick up the phone for Biden, Blinken, or Austin.
Yes... which makes the Brookings Folks look really stupid.
Our leaders don’t have a prowler stance against China, have you been living under a rock since the 1970s?
Our current crop of leaders are in China’s pocket, and for that matter, so is most of the antiwar crowd.
This guy was taken by China years ago, long before these recent arrests of Chinese spies.
China has been our enemy since the communists won back in the 1940s.
Tell that to the Free Traitor™ GOP types around here....
They pick up the phone all the time to give those buttheads and their kindred bribes. That is what the Hunter Biden laptop is all about. And that is what Fang Fang was doing with Swalwell. Meanwhile, Feinstein’s driver was spying on her... or acting as a line of communications.
And China was behind the BLM movement and riots. Many of those BLM groups were led by Maoists.
I guess I should leave the USA.
They store “prisoners” as one would save money for a rainy day. It is an insurance policy. The Russians do the same thing. Look at Whelan. They have been holding him since 2018. He wasn’t released when Griner was because the Russians consider him too valuable to waste on some less important target.
Similarly, we hold Russian and Chinese prisoners who can be used to swap for our people. I witnessed several prisoner swaps in Berlin with the Soviets over the famous Glienicke Bridge, including the one for Nathan Sharansky. People are used as bargaining chips.
It remains to be seen if the Chinese will really execute their American prisoner or if it is a ploy to put pressure on us to release one of their people sooner rather than later. The threat of execution raises the stakes.
bkmk
Before COVID, my BIL traveled to China extensively as part of his job. One thing he shared was he always stayed in state sponsored hotels, taxis etc. and never got out of the system. He told a story where a Disney employee decided to get a ride to the airport using the Chinese version of Uber and ended up outside the city without his luggage, wallet and passport.
End visas for all students from China to US. Send them home, mid degree if possible.
Tariffs on Chinese goods.
Outlaw US land and major capital purchases by Chinese.
Start deporting Chinese who don't have green cards.
Then rescind green cards and start deporting them.
Oh yeah. Thanks brilliant statesman Nixon for opening the door to China to invade. It has been really helpful. Transferring all our technology to the Communists was a really smart geopolitical move.
That is a good list.
“Free trade” with China is a MASSIVE problem.
Cruz is delusional.
Yes, true China is now our enemy! This hasn’t been noted enough! And this “bunch” is so clueless that everyone thinks they’ve kowtowed to China in a way that is shameful and counterproductive to our interests, “China will own you” said Trump, years ago when running against him,true enough, but it happened in a completely different way.
The Biden administration should use every tool available to secure Mark’s safe return to Texas.
He’s a goner Jim
“If you like due process”, then I guess there is no country on earth where you can go.
BECAUSE WE SURE DON’T HAVE IT IN AMERICA ANY MORE!
But it is OK for Hunter Biden (coke addict) to visit their country.
Soooo, you seem sure that China is right and he is guilty as charged , and therefore he should face death in a country that is our enemy. You assume an awful lot.
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