Chinese court sentences Australian Yang Hengjun to death with two-year good behaviour reprieve

6:43 pm on 5 February 2024

By Tom Crowley and Stephen Dziedzic, for ABC

--FILE--Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun attends a lecture at Beijing Institute of Technology in Beijing, China, 18 November 2010.

China has detained a Chinese-Australian writer who had flown in from New York last week, the Australian government said, adding it was trying to find out why he was being held. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Chinese authorities on Wednesday had informed the Australian embassy in Beijing that they had detained Yang Hengjun. “The department is seeking to clarify the nature of this detention and to obtain consular access to him ... as a matter of priority,” the department said in a statement issued late on Wednesday. (Photo by Zhan min / Imaginechina / Imaginechina via AFP)

Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun attends a lecture at Beijing Institute of Technology in Beijing, China, on 18 November 2010. Photo: Imaginechina via AFP

Australian Yang Hengjun has been sentenced to death by a Chinese court, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed.

The sentence is a suspended sentence that can be converted to a life sentence after two years.

The Australian citizen, writer and democracy activist has been imprisoned in China since 2019 on charges of spying, which he has always denied.

The Australian government has petitioned for his release.

Senator Wong has called the court's decision "harrowing" and "appalling" and summoned China's ambassador for an explanation.

She added Dr Yang had further appeal avenues available and the government would continue to advocate on his behalf.

Australian officials were unable to attend Dr Yang's closed trial in 2021.

"We have consistently called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment for Dr Yang, in accordance with international norms and China's legal obligations," Senator Wong said.

"All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his family. We will not relent in our advocacy."

Family 'devastated'

In a statement, a supporter of Dr Yang said his family was "shocked and devastated by this news, which comes at the extreme end of worst expectations. They will take time to process".

There have been ongoing concerns about Dr Yang's health. The 58-year-old has a large cyst on one of his kidneys.

Last year Dr Yang's family wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warning his health was rapidly declining and pleading with Mr Albanese to do "all in his power" to secure his release during his visit to China.

Yang Hengjun's family urges PM to intervene

China's decision to release former state TV anchor Cheng Lei also briefly stoked optimism among some of Dr Yang's supporters that Beijing might be willing to show him some clemency.

"We have been inspired by the wonderful news of Cheng Lei's release and return to Melbourne," Dr Yang's family wrote.

"We hope that you, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Ambassador Graham Fletcher can achieve a second miracle by saving our father."

But one Australian government source said Dr Yang's case was "very different" to that of Cheng Lei's, although they did not provide any further detail.

- This story was first published by the ABC.