Yang Hengjun, an accomplished Australian journalist, was sentenced to a suspended death sentence by the Beijing Second Intermediate People’s Court. This serious sentence, delivered on Monday, can be moderated to life imprisonment given two years of exemplary conduct. The news of this unprecedented sentencing has sent shockwaves across the globe. More on this sentencing can be read here.
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, expressed her government’s shock at the court’s decision, assuring that it will persistently campaign for Hengjun’s cause. She shed light on the reality of Hengjun’s situation, stating that he had been under custody since January 2019 on national security charges and his trial, scheduled initially for May 27, 2021, experienced multiple postponements. Hengjun was charged with espionage in October 2020 by the Chinese authorities.
Amnesty International Australia is one of the fervent organizations calling for Yang’s quick and unconditional release. Their concerns for his wellbeing have mounted after three long years of pre-trial detention. Further details on Amnesty’s relentless advocacy for Hengjun are available here. Nikita White, an active campaigner at Amnesty International Australia, reiterated their demands for Hengjun’s swift release, unless there exists substantial and credible evidence of his supposed offense and is assured a fair trial in line with international standards.
This advocacy organization is now actively petitioning for the retraction of Hengjun’s death sentence by the Chinese authorities. You can find more on their petition here.
To read further about this ongoing controversial case, please visit the original article here.