Australian writer Yang Jun sentenced to suspended death in China for espionage
Australian writer of Chinese origin Yang Jun, imprisoned in China since 2019 for espionage charges which he disputes, has been given a suspended death sentence, Beijing and Canberra announced. A conviction which could cast a chill in the relations which have become more stable between the two countries.
The trial of the Chinese-born Australian writer and journalist took place in 2021, but the court decided to postpone the judgment and sentencing. AFP - NICOLAS ASFOURI
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Yang Jun was arrested in 2019 at Guangzhou airport, accused of spying for a foreign country. This 57-year-old pro-democracy blogger is an Australian citizen born in
China
. He was tried in a one-day closed-door hearing in Beijing in May 2021.
Read alsoAustralia criticizes the “arbitrary detention” of an academic in China
The sentence of this Monday, February 5 is officially described as a death sentence suspended for two years. This is a relatively common decision that allows death sentences to be commuted to 25-year sentences, or to life in prison after two years of good behavior.
“
The Australian government is appalled by this decision
,” according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. She assured that Canberra will respond “
in the strongest terms
”.
His detention - and that of Australian journalist Cheng Lei in 2020 - had contributed to deteriorating relations between Beijing and Canberra, but these relations had stabilized since the change of government in Australia in 2022, with the Australian Prime Minister welcoming an improvement "
"undeniable
" of the links between the two countries.
Read alsoReleased in China, journalist Cheng Lei returns to Australia
Yang Jun's new conviction could, however, have a “
severe impact on bilateral relations
” between the two countries.
China is said to be the country that applies the death penalty the most in the world, but there is no public data on this subject.
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