Australian writer Yang Hengjun sentenced to death on China spy charges
Al Jazeera
Yang has been detained for five years on charges of espionage that he and Australia have rejected.
Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who was detained in China on espionage charges in 2019, has been handed a suspended death sentence by a court in Beijing.
The terms of the sentence mean Yang’s sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment for good behaviour.
“The Australian government is appalled by this outcome,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters as she confirmed the sentence, the SBS News outlet reported.
Wong said Canberra would be responding “in the strongest terms” including by summoning the Chinese ambassador.
“I want to acknowledge the acute distress that Dr Yang and his family will be feeling today, coming after years of uncertainty,” she said.
