The Australian government said writer Yang Jun was handed a suspended death sentence in China today, in what was described as "heartbreaking news".
The Canberra government, said Foreign Minister Penny Wong, "is shocked" by the developments in the matter, ensuring a response "in the strongest terms".
Yang, detained since 2019 on charges of violating national security regulations, had been on trial for some time, but the verdict and sentence have been subject to repeated delays since the closed-door proceedings began on May 27, 2021.
The Australian government has championed Yang's case with China "at every opportunity and at the highest levels, consistently calling for fundamental standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment, in accordance with international norms and China's legal obligations".
Therefore, "we will continue to press for Yang's interests and well-being, including for appropriate medical care, and provide consular assistance to him and his family," Wong added.
All Australians "want to see the writer reunited with his family and we will not relax our commitment. The Australian Government is shocked that an Australian citizen received a suspended death sentence in Beijing today. We understand that this may be commuted to life imprisonment after two years if the individual commits no serious crimes during the two-year period."
However, "this is heartbreaking news for Yang, his family and everyone who supported him. Our thoughts are with them and I
recognize the acute distress they will all feel, after many years of uncertainty. This time has been extraordinarily difficult and, like so many Australians, I am moved by Yang's strength and that of his family and friends."
The Australian government, concluded the Foreign Minister, "will communicate his response in the strongest terms".
Beijing confirms
China has confirmed that the Chinese-Australian writer Yang Jun has been given a suspended death sentence for espionage, in response to what was anticipated and harshly condemned by Canberra.
A Beijing court today found "Yang Jun guilty of espionage, sentenced him to death with a two-year
suspended execution, and confiscated all his personal assets," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in the daily briefing.
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