The mother of a Michigan businessman wrongfully held on death row in China is calling on President Biden to stand up to President Xi Jinping and publicly call out her son by name.
In 2019, US citizen Mark Swidan was arrested by Chinese authorities on drug-smuggling charges. Though Mark maintains his innocence, a Chinese court found him guilty and sentenced him to death. This sentence is under appeal and no execution date has been released.
Mark’s mother, Laura Swidan, has recently sent a letter to President Biden imploring him to take action. In her letter she stated, “I call on you, President Biden, to be an advocate for my son Mark in his darkest hour. I call on you to stand tall, refuse to bow to the bullying tactics of the Xi Jinping regime and tell the world that Mark is innocent and unjustly being held by China.”
Mrs. Swidan’s plea follows similar calls from human-rights advocates the world over. In recent weeks, international outcry has only intensified in the face of the Chinese government’s relentless persecution of dissidents and perceived enemies.
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Mrs. Swidan also emphasised the need for the United States to take a bold and unified stance against China’s aggressive and unlawful behaviour, saying “The Chinese government should not be allowed to take Mark hostage as a form of negotiating leverage with the United States. We must take a firm stand against their injustices or else they will continue to get away with abuses of human rights and disregard for international laws.”
It is clear that the US government needs to act decisively on behalf of Mark Swidan. Mrs. Swidan’s appeal to President Biden reveals the devastating effect of the Chinese court’s ruling on her and her son’s lives. It is now up to the US and other countries to show support for Mark and ensure the circumstances of his conviction are made public. Anything less than a concerted effort by the international community might give Beijing the license to continue its assault on human rights.