- Chinese-born Australian democracy blogger Yang Hengjun was given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court on Monday.
- The Australian government, which has consistently supported Mr. Yang, expressed shock at the latest verdict.
- Yang was convicted of espionage and sentenced to death with a two-year suspended sentence, which in China is often a life sentence.
A Chinese court on Monday handed down a suspended death sentence to a Chinese-born Australian democracy blogger. He said he was appalled by the Australian government, which had repeatedly raised his case over the years.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Yang Hengjun was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death with a two-year suspended sentence. Such sentences are often commuted to life imprisonment after two years.
“The Australian government is appalled,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. “This is sad news for Dr. Yang, his family, and everyone who supported him.”
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Mr Yang, a former Chinese diplomat and national security official turned Australian political commentator and spy novelist, arrived in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou from New York on January 19, 2019, with his wife and teenage boy. He was arrested when he did so. Stepdaughter.
Chinese-Australian author and democracy blogger Yang Hengjun and his wife Yuan Xiaoliang have been spotted together. Australia said it was appalled by China’s suspended death sentence against Hengjun. (Songichi Feng, via AP, File)
He was tried behind closed doors in May 2021. Details of the lawsuit were not disclosed. Mr Yang became an Australian citizen in 2002 but denies having worked as a spy in Australia or the US.
In a letter to his sons last August, Yang said he had not experienced direct sunlight in more than four years. His supporters called for his release for medical treatment after he told his family he feared he would die in custody after being diagnosed with a kidney cyst.
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Australia’s foreign minister said in a statement that Australia would “convey our response in the strongest terms” and continue to seek his interests and well-being, including appropriate medical care.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang said the court had protected Yang’s procedural rights and arranged for his Australian side to be present at Monday’s ruling, possibly referring to diplomats at the Australian embassy.
In October last year, Australian journalist Cheng Lei was released after being detained in China for more than three years on charges of breaking a state TV embargo.
The plight of Yang and Cheng has been a frequent topic of discussion at high-level meetings between the two countries in recent years.
