A US missionary was recently arrested in his home near the border of China and North Korea.
Peter Hahn, a 74-year-old Korean-American missionary who has been running a vocational school for years, was arrested by Chinese authorities in the border town of Tumen and he was charged with embezzlement and releasing counterfeit receipts.
However, Hahn's lawyer, Zhang Peihong, believes that these reasons by the authorities were mere excuses, and the missionary was actually arrested because of his Christian faith.
"The charges levelled against him are just excuses", Peihong said.
According to the report by The Guardian, Hahn and his family has been under investigation for months by Chinese authorities. In an earlier interview with his wife Eunice Hahn, the building of the school also serves as a 'base camp for our missionaries'.
In the report, the US embassy in China has already sent consular officials who have talked with the missionary, although he is still detained in a Yanbian prefecture. Enforcement officials stated that Hahn was formally arrested, which is considered a more serious crime than criminal detention.
"We take our obligation to assist U.S. citizens seriously and we stand ready to provide consular services," said Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department.
The report says that Hahn is seen by a doctor regularly due to complications caused by his diabetes. His wife says he has also undergone two strokes this year.