By Laurie Chen and James Pomfret
A Beijing court docket sentenced veteran Chinese language state media journalist Dong Yuyu on Friday to seven years in jail for espionage, his household stated in a press release, calling the decision a grave injustice.
Police within the Chinese language capital detained the 62-year-old former Guangming Every day editor and journalist in February 2022 whereas he was lunching with a Japanese diplomat, the U.S. Nationwide Press Membership stated in a press release. He was later charged with espionage.
“Sentencing Yuyu to seven years in jail on no proof declares to the world the chapter of the justice system in China,” Dong’s household stated in a press release supplied to Reuters.
“Right this moment’s verdict is a grave injustice not solely to Yuyu and his household but additionally to each freethinking Chinese language journalist and each peculiar Chinese language dedicated to pleasant engagement with the world.”
The household added that within the court docket judgment, Japanese diplomats whom Dong met have been “particularly named as brokers of an ‘espionage organisation,’ which is the Japanese embassy in Beijing”.
Dong’s conviction implied each Chinese language citizen could be “anticipated to know that the Chinese language authorities could contemplate these embassies to be ‘espionage organisations'”, it stated, which might trigger a chilling impact.
Police guarded the court docket on Friday, with seven police vehicles parked close by, and journalists have been requested to go away the world. A U.S. diplomat stated that they had been barred from attending the listening to.
Dong has been detained in a Beijing jail since a closed-court listening to in July 2023, the press membership stated in September.
Chinese language authorities dealt with the case “strictly in accordance with the regulation”, overseas ministry spokesperson Mao Ning advised an everyday press briefing on Friday.
Japan’s Overseas Minister Takeshi Iwaya refused to touch upon the decision.
“In any case, diplomatic actions carried out at our missions overseas are authentic actions,” he advised a routine press convention.
“Chinese language authorities should reverse this unjust verdict, and shield the precise of journalists to work freely and safely in China,” stated Beh Lih Yi, Asia program supervisor on the Committee to Shield Journalists.
“Dong Yuyu needs to be reunited together with his household instantly.”
Dong repeatedly had in-person exchanges with diplomats from varied embassies and journalists.
The Japanese diplomat he met, one among two he had repeatedly met up to now, was additionally detained for a number of hours, spurring a grievance from Japan’s overseas ministry.
On the time, a Chinese language overseas ministry spokesperson stated the diplomat was engaged in actions “inconsistent with their capability” in China. The diplomat was later launched.
A Nieman Fellow at Harvard College in 2007, Dong was a visiting scholar and visiting professor at Keio College and Hokkaido College in Japan, his household stated in a press release in April 2023.
He joined the Guangming Every day, affiliated to the ruling Communist Occasion, in 1987, after graduating from Peking College regulation college, and was the deputy editor of its commentary part.
He wrote opinion articles in Chinese language media and liberal educational journals on subjects from authorized reforms to social points, and co-edited a e-book selling the rule of regulation in China.
His articles advocated reasonable reforms whereas avoiding direct criticism of President Xi Jinping.
His household had initially stored information of his detention non-public within the hope that fees may very well be lowered or dropped, however have been advised in March 2023 that he would stand trial, they stated of their assertion.
Non-government our bodies (NGOs) advocating press freedom have known as for his launch, with greater than 700 journalists, teachers and NGO employees signing an internet petition for him to be freed.
“Dong Yuyu is a gifted reporter and creator whose work has lengthy been revered by colleagues,” stated Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Basis for Journalism at Harvard.
“We stand with many in hoping for his launch and return to his household.”
In February, a Beijing court docket handed a suspended loss of life sentence to Australian author and pro-democracy blogger, Yang Hengjun, on espionage fees.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by World South World.
