5.02.2024 18:30
(Akt. 5.02.2024 20:37)
This undated file photo released by Chongyi Feng shows Yang Hengjun and his wife Yuan Xiaoliang. Australia is appalled by China’s suspended sentence for Chinese-Australian writer and democracy blogger Yang Hengjun. ©AP
Australian writer and blogger Yang Hengjun was sentenced to death in China on espionage charges. The sentence is suspended with the possibility of being converted to life imprisonment.
Yang Hengjun, a 58-year-old Australian citizen of Chinese descent, faces the highest sentence the Chinese legal system can hand out. An author of spy novels and owner of a blog critical of the Chinese regime, Yang has been accused by Chinese authorities of espionage, a charge he has always vehemently denied.
Diplomatic tensions
Yang’s sentencing comes at a time of mild tension between Australia and China, but the case could put renewed strain on bilateral relations. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed concern about the verdict, calling it “shocking news” for Yang, his family and supporters.
Police officers face the trial of Australian academic Yang Jun at the Second Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing ©AFP
Yang Hengjun’s background
Yang, who formerly worked in China’s Foreign Ministry, moved to Australia in 1999 and acquired citizenship there. He became known through his literary work and his blog, in which he critically addressed the policies of the Chinese Communist Party.
Controversial arrest
Yang disappeared under mysterious circumstances in January 2019 after arriving in Guangzhou, southern China. It was only later that his arrest became known. During his detention, he reported torture and the fear that a forced confession could put him on trial.