A verdict in the espionage trial of Australian writer Yang Hengjun (楊恒均), detained by China since his arrest there four years ago, has been delayed until April, the seventh such delay, his supporters said yesterday.
Pro-democracy blogger Yang is an Australian citizen born in China who was working in New York before his arrest at Guangzhou airport in 2019, coinciding with deteriorating relations between Australia and China.
A Beijing court heard Yang’s trial in secret in May 2021 and the case against him has never been publicly disclosed. Yang has denied working as a spy for Australia or the US.
Photo: AP
“The Australian government is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in his case. Since Dr Yang was detained, the Australian government has called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be afforded to Dr Yang,” Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) said in a statement marking the fourth anniversary of his detention.
Yang’s case, and that of detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei (成蕾), tried in secret on national security charges in March last year, are being closely watched in Australia as the two nations seek to improve diplomatic ties after a leaders’ meeting.
The first consular visit since October last year to the two journalists detained in Beijing took place on Friday last week, after the Australian government called for consular access to be restored. Chinese authorities had previously suspended visits citing COVID-19 restrictions.
A verdict in Yang’s trial has been delayed by the court seven times, and his lawyer was told the deadline had been extended a further three months to April, his supporters said.
“Yang’s arbitrary detention in China is an outrageous political persecution due to his advocacy for universal values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law,” said his former supervisor at the University of Technology in Sydney, Feng Chongyi (馮崇義).
He urged the Australian government to secure Yang’s release before any resumption of normal trade with China, adding there were concerns over his health, including malnutrition, after four years of imprisonment.
The Chinese embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian (肖千) on Tuesday last week told reporters in Canberra that “there is nothing the government can do” in the two cases because they were before the courts.
“Once there’s a solution, there will be an announcement at the proper time,” he said.
In a message that Yang sent to his friends from prison this month, he maintained his innocence.
“Four years is a long time. I came, I suffered, I thought. But I have not been conquered,” Yang wrote in the message.
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