An imprisoned Alabama-born pastor is one of 135 political prisoners released by Nicaragua this morning in a deal brokered by the Biden Administration.

The New York Times is reporting that Jon Britton Hancock, founder and president of Mountain Gateway, and 13 people affiliated with the ministry, were released on humanitarian grounds. The prisoners were sent to Guatemala, where they will be processed as refugees, the paper reported.

“No one should be put in jail for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association, and practicing their religion,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

“This is the day we have been praying and believing God for,” Hancock said. “Members of Congress, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security worked tirelessly to effect their release from their unjust imprisonment.”

In December, the administration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega ordered the closure of Mountain Gateway’s 10 churches and arrested 11 of their pastors, accusing them of money laundering. The crackdown came after an eight-city crusade that was attended by nearly a million people.

The pastors were sentenced to 12 or 15 years in prison and fined a total of nearly $1 billion.

Two lawyers representing them were also convicted and imprisoned.

Hancock, who was charged but never arrested, enlisted Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) and Sen. Katie Britt, among others, to lobby for release.

Aderholt said in a statement he had already spoken to the Hancock family who are “overjoyed.”

“I am thankful to God for the release of not only these pastors, but the other Christians being held as well,” Aderholt said. “As I have said many times throughout this ordeal that began late last year, they were simply preaching and sharing the Good News of Christ’s redeeming love to others.”

In June, Britt called on the Biden Administration to exert diplomatic pressure to urge the ministers’ release.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and U.S. Reps. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover), Dale Strong (R-Monrovia), Jerry Carl (R-Mobile), Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) also made efforts on behalf of the church.

The group of those released included Catholic laypeople, students, and others whom President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and the first lady and vice president, Rosario Murillo, considered a threat to their authoritarian rule, Sullivan said.