(NewsNation) — China has released three American prisoners who were detained for at least eight years, White House officials confirmed Wednesday.
Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung were freed after years of talks between U.S. and Chinese officials, according to Politico, which first reported the prisoner swap.
Full details of the swap were not immediately clear.
The news comes about two months after China released 68-year-old California pastor David Lin, who was detained for almost 20 years.
“We are pleased to announce the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung from detention in the People’s Republic of China,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years. Thanks to this Administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home.”
Actor Mel Gibson — who has repeatedly called for the release of Swidan — posted a video thanking those who helped secure his release, including NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas.
The number of Americans considered wrongfully detained has sky-rocketed since 2012, according to the James Foley Legacy Foundation.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.