A Chinese court sentenced pro-democracy writer and academic Yang Hengjun to a suspended death sentence after imprisoning him for five years on "vague" espionage charges..Yang was arrested in 2019 after he arrived at Guangzhou Airport from New York and has been given a 2-year suspension. Once these two years come and go, he will automatically receive a life sentence, or if he were to re-offend, a lethal injection..Australian officials and family expressed worry over Yang's declining health and wellbeing. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said they will "pursue every possible avenue to secure a more lenient sentence" for Yang..Yang's death sentence likely caused Australia's and China's efforts to stabilize relations after several years of decline to be set back tremendously.
A Chinese court sentenced pro-democracy writer and academic Yang Hengjun to a suspended death sentence after imprisoning him for five years on "vague" espionage charges..Yang was arrested in 2019 after he arrived at Guangzhou Airport from New York and has been given a 2-year suspension. Once these two years come and go, he will automatically receive a life sentence, or if he were to re-offend, a lethal injection..Australian officials and family expressed worry over Yang's declining health and wellbeing. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said they will "pursue every possible avenue to secure a more lenient sentence" for Yang..Yang's death sentence likely caused Australia's and China's efforts to stabilize relations after several years of decline to be set back tremendously.
