H.Res. 1259

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1259 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 1259

In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

May 13, 2026.
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has arrested Chinese, 
American, and British citizens for the peaceful expression of speech or 
religion, or such acts by family members;
Whereas such arrests have been widely condemned by the international community 
and human rights organizations, with repeated calls for the release of 
the detainees;
Whereas, on May 17, 2025, Pastor Gao Quanfu of the Light of Zion Church in Xi'an 
Province was detained and is being held on charges of ``using 
superstitious activities to undermine the implementation of law'' and 
``fraud'';
Whereas Pastor Gao's wife, Pang Yu, who was subsequently detained on June 7, 
2025, remains held despite holding no official position in the church, 
and has been denied access to critical prescription medication;
Whereas, on or about October 10, 2025, authorities of the People's Republic of 
China detained Pastor Jin Mingri, founder of Zion Church, along with 
other church leaders, on equally dubious charges of ``illegal use of 
information networks'';
Whereas Pastor Jin continues to be detained without access to critical 
medications to treat diabetes or contact with family members in the 
People's Republic of China and the United States;
Whereas, on November 7, 2025, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 
463, calling for the ``immediate and unconditional release of all 
detained members of Zion Church, including Pastor Jin'' and for the 
Government of the People's Republic of China to end ``harassment and 
intimidation of the relatives of Zion church members and their 
relatives'';
Whereas Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and grandmother, was forcibly 
disappeared on September 11, 2018, shortly after her sister, a United 
States citizen, publicly criticized the treatment of Uyghurs by the 
Government of the People's Republic of China;
Whereas Dr. Abbas was later sentenced to 20 years following secret proceedings 
on charges that independent observers and human rights organizations 
have characterized as politically motivated;
Whereas the prolonged detention of Dr. Abbas raises grave concerns regarding her 
health, wellbeing, and access to due process, as she suffers from severe 
high blood pressure and osteoporosis, among other conditions;
Whereas, in 1995, Jimmy Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong and 
subsequently faced repeated harassment and arrest, including a 69 month 
sentence in 2022, on dubious fraud charges and a subsequent 20 year 
sentence in February 2026, on equally dubious national security charges;
Whereas, in December 2025, President Donald Trump said he had asked Chinese 
President Xi Jinping to consider releasing Jimmy Lai;
Whereas, on December 4, 2025, House Resolution 930 was introduced commemorating 
Jimmy Lai and calling on authorities of the People's Republic of China 
to ``immediately and unconditionally release Jimmy Lai and all other 
Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates unjustly imprisoned'';
Whereas, on September 11, 2025, the House introduced the ``FREEDOM for Gao 
Zhisheng and All Political Prisoners Act'', which would strengthen 
United States diplomatic efforts to advocate for the release of unjustly 
detained political prisoners in the People's Republic of China and in 
Hong Kong by requiring a coordinated strategy for political-prisoner 
advocacy and encouraging the use of available accountability tools 
against officials responsible for arbitrary detention and other human 
rights abuses; and
Whereas addressing individual cases of wrongful detention has historically been 
an important component of United States diplomacy, reflects longstanding 
bipartisan commitments to political and religious freedoms, and is an 
important factor in United States bilateral relations: Now, therefore, 
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls upon the President to prioritize securing the humanitarian 
release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, 
Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Jimmy Lai, and other unjustly detained individuals on 
the agenda for engagements with President Xi Jinping, including the 
anticipated May 2026 summit;
(2) urges the President to seek verifiable proof of life and access 
to independent legal counsel, family communication, and medical care for 
such detainees; and
(3) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to defend 
political and religious freedom and advocate for the release of those 
unjustly detained for exercising such fundamental freedoms.
Attest:

Clerk.