From prison fears to fireworks, Chinese pastor recounts sudden release after Trump’s intervention

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ezra Jin Mingri was inside a detention center in southern China on the morning of July 3, worrying that he would likely spend at least 15 years behind bars. The 57-year-old Chinese Christian pastor had even previously wondered whether he would live to see freedom again .

In the span of 24 hours, Jin was 15 time zones away, digging into an In-N-Out hamburger in Los Angeles and watching fireworks with his family on the eve of Independence Day, marking America’s 250th anniversary .

“It’s so dramatic. It’s unimaginable,” the pastor told The Associated Press outside the nation’s capital.

He said he was suddenly released after being held since October, then put on a plane to the U.S. after President Donald Trump raised his case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May .

“It’s a miracle,” Jin said this week.

Jin has led one of China’s most influential underground churches, which defy government restrictions by not being registered with authorities . He is an exceptional case of a high-profile Chinese detainee going free following a U.S. request at a time when Beijing’s leadership has only become more unyielding to foreign pressure.

Chinese pastor credits Trump…