Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Two Americans detained in China for border charges

by

BEIJING Oct 17, 2019 - 5:24 pm GMT+3
 AFP File Photo
| AFP File Photo
by Oct 17, 2019 5:24 pm

Two Americans from an English-teaching business in China were detained and bailed out in the east of the country on suspicion of "organizing others to illegally cross the border," the foreign ministry said Thursday.

Alyssa Petersen and Jacob Harlan, a father of five, were taken into custody in Jiangsu province on Sept. 27 and 29 and then released on bail, said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

Their Idaho-based company China Horizons, which arranges for Americans to teach English in Chinese schools, said in a post on its Facebook page on Saturday that the charges were "bogus."

The detentions come amid diplomatic and trade tensions between China and the United States.

"I do not see this incident as having any specific links to current China-U.S. relations," Geng said at a regular press conference.

The U.S. Consulate in Shanghai was notified in a "timely fashion" and consular visits were arranged for both of them, he said.

The U.S. State Department said it was "aware" of the detention of two U.S. citizens in Jiangsu, and the charges being brought against them.

"We take seriously our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens abroad and are monitoring the situation," a U.S. Embassy spokesman told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

China Horizons said on Facebook that, "Their families are working on getting them international lawyers to help them get back home to the states." Harlan, the founder of China Horizons, was being held in a hotel under police surveillance in the city of Zhenjiang, according to a separate gofundme.com page set up for his legal fees.

Police detained him while he was with his 8-year-old daughter at a hotel in Weifang in Shandong province on Sept. 28 and took away his phone and computer, according to the post.

His daughter was finally allowed to briefly call her mother, and she later took an international flight with a family friend.

Harlan frequently travels from the United States to China to help teachers in the China Horizons programme, according to the company's website.

Petersen, who is the assistant director of China Horizons, was detained around Sept. 27 and was not heard from for two weeks until the State Department located her, according to her gofundme.com page.

"We received information that she is doing okay ... wakes up when told, she goes to sleep when told. She spends her day in a jail cell or walking in a circle counting steps," says the webpage, created a week ago.

"She cannot have any contact with anyone outside of a consulate officer who can visit once a month and a lawyer." Contacted by AFP, Zhenjiang police said they had no immediate comment.

China Horizons said it would shut down at the end of October.

"Unfortunately, because of increasing political and economic problems between the U.S. and China, we are no longer able to send teachers to China safely," the company wrote on its Facebook page.

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Dec 20, 2019 1:06 am
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    A look into devastated town of Volnovakha, Ukraine
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021