Australian citizen, writer, and democracy advocate Yang Hengjun has been sentenced to death by a Chinese court, with the sentence suspended for two years before it may be commuted to life imprisonment. Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed the news, marking a chilling episode in the ongoing saga of Dr. Yang, who has been detained in China on espionage charges since 2019—a claim he steadfastly denies.

Who is Yang Hengjun and what did he do?

A blogger, academic, and political commentator, Yang Hengjun is best known for his "Fatal Weakness" trilogy of spy thrillers. Yang is also a former visiting scholar at Columbia University.

The Chinese-born Australian writer was seized by Chinese authorities during a visit to the country in January 2019. Beijing accused the author of “espionage,” but has provided no public evidence to back up its claim.

Diplomatic tensions rise over Yang Hengjun death sentence

The Australian government has been vocal in its efforts to secure the blogger’s release, with Senator Wong describing the court’s decision as “harrowing” and “appalling.” In response to the sentence, Australia has summoned China’s ambassador to seek an explanation for the court’s harsh judgment. Senator Wong emphasised that Dr. Yang still has options for appeal and assured that the Australian government will persist in advocating for his rights and release.

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Dr. Yang’s trial, which took place behind closed doors in 2021, was off-limits to Australian officials, raising significant concerns about the transparency and fairness of the legal process. “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 stated, reflecting the Australian government’s stance on the matter.

“All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his family. We will not relent in our advocacy,” Wong added.

Family and government advocate for Yang’s release

The sentence has sent shockwaves through Dr. Yang’s family and supporters. A statement from a family supporter conveyed their devastation at the news, which represented a dire turn of events they had hoped to avoid. The health of Dr. Yang, 58, who suffers from a large kidney cyst, has been a particular concern for his family and the Australian government. Last year, his family appealed directly to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to leverage his visit to China to negotiate Dr. Yang’s release.

The recent release of Cheng Lei, a former state TV anchor, had ignited a flicker of hope among Dr. Yang’s supporters that Beijing might extend a measure of leniency towards him as well. In light of Lei’s release, Dr. Yang’s family had expressed optimism, calling upon Wong and Ambassador Graham Fletcher to work towards securing Dr. Yang’s freedom. However, a source within the Australian government cautioned that Dr. Yang’s case is markedly different from Lei’s, though no further details were provided.

Before his trial, Dr Yang shared his hope with PEN International that he would be able to continue writing “to help China to understand the world” in a message he had transcribed while detained. When considering the trial’s potential outcome, Yang said: “If worse comes to worst, if someone wants to take revenge on me for my writings, please explain to the people inside China what I did, and the significance of my writing to people in China. The values and beliefs which we shared, and which I shared with my readers, are something bigger than myself.”

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In January 2022, the organisation called for his “immediate and unconditional release so that he can receive medical treatment and be safely repatriated to Australia.”

Following the sentencing, PEN International and its centres condemned the situation. In a statement, it called the “deeply flawed trial” an “unacceptable outcome.”

Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, said: “This is a shocking, unacceptable outcome of a flawed, opaque judicial process in which a writer has been denied his basic human rights of representation and a fair trial. We stand in solidarity with Yang Hengjun and call on the PRC government to end its assault on freedom of expression.”

As the Australian government continues its diplomatic efforts to advocate for Dr. Yang, the international community watches closely, awaiting the outcome of this complex case.