Lawmakers urged United States President Barack Obama to ensure the safety of a Chinese rights lawyer, Jiang Tianyong, on Monday at a news conference in Washington, D.C. Jiang Tianyong tried to meet with Obama but was arrested by Chinese officials on November 19th, just hours after Obama left China.

Earlier this month, Jiang Tianyong was in the United States testifying at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission about human rights abuses committed by the Chinese regime.

Republican Representative Chris Smith was the chairperson of that hearing. He’s urging Obama to personally call Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Jintao to ensure the safety of Jiang Tianyong.

[Chris Smith, U.S. Congressman]:
“The dictatorship has made a decision to put him in prison. That is why I want President Obama to call Hu Jintao.”

Jiang said he was taken away by plainclothes police while taking his daughter to school.

[Jiang Tianyong, Human Rights Lawyer]:
“He grabbed my belt and, lifted me up and pushed me into the car. The whole time he was cursing, ‘how about if I kill you.’ I was protecting my daughter with my left hand, and holding her school bag with my right hand. My daughter was just crying.”

Republican Representative Frank Wolf said the United States government should act immediately to protect Jiang and his family.

[Frank Wolf, U.S. Congressman]:
“The three things: the President to call Valerie Jarrett, or Rahm Emanuel should get on a plane and go over, and thirdly, the ambassador has to drive now there to stand with the wife, to stand with them and be there, because that would be almost a guarantee.”

Jiang Tianyong was released 14 hours after the arrest. Now Jiang and his family are under heavy police surveillance.