MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – A Chinese-born Australian democracy blogger will not appeal a suspended death sentence imposed by a court in Beijing, his family said Wednesday said that it is harmful to the welfare of people.
Yang Hengjun After a closed-door trial, he was found guilty of espionage, and two weeks ago he was sentenced to death with a two-year suspended sentence. Such sentences are often commuted to life imprisonment after two years.
Yang’s family and close friends said in a statement that they strongly support the 58-year-old’s decision to waive his right to appeal.
“There are two practical reasons why an appeal would adversely affect Mr. Yang’s welfare,” the statement said.
First, there was no reason to believe that the justice system would correct his “unjust” sentence, the paper said. And second, the statement added, the appeal will only delay Mr. Yang’s chances of receiving proper medical care after five years of “inhumane” treatment and detention with “neglect.”
Mr Yang’s supporters are calling on Australia to put pressure on China to release him on medical parole or extradite him to Australia.
prime minister Anthony Albanese Australia said it would contest Mr Yang’s sentence and continue to seek his release.
“We will continue to represent China in its interests. The Australian Government will always defend the rights of Australians,” Mr Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing that the court “will handle this case in accordance with law and will continue to protect the legitimate rights and interests of all parties involved.”
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong The government said it respects Yang’s “difficult decision” to waive his right to appeal and will continue to defend him at every opportunity and at the highest level.
“We acknowledge the strength Dr. Yang’s family and friends have shown throughout this period,” Wong said.
“All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his loved ones,” Mr Wong added.
Yang, a former Chinese diplomat and national security official turned Australian political commentator and spy novelist, flew from New York to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in January 2019 with his wife and teenage stepdaughter. He was detained upon arrival.
He went on trial in Beijing in May 2021. Details of the lawsuit were not disclosed. Mr Yang became an Australian citizen in 2002 but denies having worked as a spy in Australia or the US.
In a letter to his sons last August, Yang said he had not experienced direct sunlight in more than four years. His supporters called for his release for medical treatment after he told his family he feared he would die in custody after being diagnosed with a kidney cyst.
In October last year, Australian journalist Cheng Lei was released after more than three years in detention in China for breaking a state TV embargo.
The plight of Yang and Cheng has been a frequent topic of discussion at high-level meetings between the two countries in recent years.