North Korea has released Jeffrey Edward Fowle, an American citizen detained in North Korea since April, the White House said on Tuesday.

Nearly four months had passed since North Korean state media said Fowle, who was arrested for leaving a bible in a public bar, would be tried for “hostile acts.”

But his trial date was never publicly set, and on Tuesday White House spokesperson Josh Earnest confirmed news of his release at a press briefing in Washington, DC.

“We certainly welcome the decision,” Earnest said at the briefing, adding that Washington was continuing to work on the release of two