Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, senior pastor of Beijing’s Zion Church, has been released after spending almost nine months in detention in China. He was among 28 church leaders arrested during coordinated raids in eleven cities in October 2025 as part of a wider crackdown on unregistered churches. Initially charged with 'illegally using information networks', prosecutors later changed the allegations to 'illegal business operations' and 'fraud'. After his release on 4 July, Pastor Jin was reunited with his family in the USA. According to reports, Chinese officials indicated that his freedom, following discussions between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, was a goodwill gesture to mark American Independence Day. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) welcomed the release while stressing that Pastor Jin and his fellow church leaders are innocent of the charges against them. The organisation continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining Zion Church leaders, along with other Christians imprisoned in China for peacefully practising their faith.