Australian writer Yang Jun received suspended death sentence in China

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong assured that her country would react “in the strongest possible terms” following this conviction, which has not yet been confirmed by China.

Australian writer and academic Yang Jun, imprisoned in China since 2019 for espionage charges which he disputes, was given a suspended death sentence in this country, the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday February 5.

“The Australian government is appalled by this decision,” Minister Penny Wong said at a press conference, stressing that Canberra would respond “in the strongest terms”. Yang Jun, born in China in 1965, was tried behind closed doors in 2021. This trial, for which no verdict had been made public, was strongly criticized by human rights defenders.

Torture and forced confessions

The writer, also known as Yang Hengjun, claimed in May 2021 that he had been tortured at an undisclosed location during his detention, fearing that a forced confession would be used against him. Beijing rejected these accusations. In August 2023, Yang Jun said he feared for his life in detention due to a large cyst on his kidney.

Penny Wong said Monday that Canberra had summoned the Chinese ambassador to Australia. “I want to acknowledge the acute distress that Dr. Yang and his family must be feeling today, after years of uncertainty”declared the minister.

This conviction, which was not immediately confirmed by Beijing, comes at a time when Sino-Australian relations appeared to be improving, notably with the release in October 2023 of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, also imprisoned in China for accusations of espionage.