China issues suspended death sentence to Australian writer Yang Hengjun

Yang, an Australian citizen born in China and a pro-democracy blogger, faced arrest at Guangzhou airport in 2019 while working in New York. On Monday, a Beijing court reportedly imposed a suspended death sentence on Australian writer Yang Hengjun, marking five years since his initial detention in China and three years after a covert trial on charges of espionage. Wong highlighted that he had been held for five years without a verdict, emphasizing the government’s efforts to advocate for his well-being at the highest levels. The Chinese foreign ministry did not promptly respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

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Unspecified Spy Allegations Against Yang Hengjun in China

In 2019, China arrested Yang, a pro-democracy blogger and Australian citizen born in China, at Guangzhou airport. He faced accusations of espionage on behalf of an undisclosed country, with China not publicly disclosing the specific details of the case.

On Monday, a court conveyed a suspended death sentence for Yang, as reported by Sydney-based scholar Feng Chongyi. The family informed him of the verdict in court, and Feng denounced it as a “grave miscarriage of justice.” He emphasized that Yang had denied the allegations and urged the Australian government to seek medical parole for him.

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