BEIJING (ChinaAid) — An American pastor serving a life sentence in China is begging his family to secure his release.

David Lin, a Chinese American pastor, was placed under house arrest in China in 2006, when he tried to gain government permission to run a ministry within China.

He was subsequently jailed, and authorities then served him a fraud charge in 2009, convicted him, and gave him a life sentence.

For 12 years, Lin was allowed a Bible, and he even started a ministry within the prison. However, his Bible was sent to the United States in December 2018, and, a few months afterward, Lin phoned his family and requested assistance in getting out of the prison.

Lin’s family is advocating for his release and ChinaAid joins them by calling on the U.S. government and other international governing bodies to pressure China to immediately and unconditionally release these men and allow them to return home.