China court jails journalist for 7 years on spy charges, family says

BEIJING/HONG KONG — 

A Beijing tribunal sentenced seasoned Chinese authorities media writer Dong Yuyu connected Friday to 7 years successful situation for espionage, his household said successful a statement, calling the verdict a sedate injustice.

Police successful the Chinese superior detained the 62-year-old erstwhile Guangming Daily exertion and writer successful February 2022 portion helium was lunching with a Japanese diplomat, the U.S. National Press Club said successful a statement. He was aboriginal charged with espionage.

"Sentencing Yuyu to 7 years successful situation connected nary grounds declares to the satellite the bankruptcy of the justness strategy successful China," Dong's household said successful a connection provided to Reuters.

"Today's verdict is simply a sedate injustice not lone to Yuyu and his household but besides to each freethinking Chinese writer and each mean Chinese committed to affable engagement with the world."

The household added that successful the tribunal judgment, Japanese diplomats whom Dong met were "specifically named arsenic agents of an 'espionage organization,' which is the Japanese embassy successful Beijing."

Dong's condemnation implied each Chinese national would beryllium "expected to cognize that the Chinese authorities whitethorn see those embassies to beryllium 'espionage organizations'," it said, causing a chilling effect.

Police guarded the tribunal connected Friday, with 7 constabulary cars parked nearby, and journalists were asked to permission the area. A U.S. diplomat said they had been barred from attending the hearing.

Dong has been detained successful a Beijing situation since a closed-court proceeding successful July 2023, the property nine said successful September.

"Chinese authorities indispensable reverse this unjust verdict, and support the close of journalists to enactment freely and safely successful China," said Beh Lih Yi, Asia programme manager astatine the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"Dong Yuyu should beryllium reunited with his household immediately."

Dong regularly had in-person exchanges with diplomats from assorted embassies and journalists.

The Japanese diplomat helium met, 1 of 2 helium had regularly met successful the past, was besides detained for respective hours, spurring a ailment from Japan's overseas ministry.

At the time, a Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson said the diplomat was engaged successful activities "inconsistent with their capacity" successful China. The diplomat was aboriginal released.

A Nieman Fellow astatine Harvard University successful 2007, Dong was a visiting student and visiting prof astatine Keio University and Hokkaido University successful Japan, his household said successful a connection successful April 2023.

He joined the Guangming Daily, affiliated to the ruling Communist Party, successful 1987, aft graduating from Peking University instrumentality school, and was the lawman exertion of its commentary section.

He wrote sentiment articles successful Chinese media and wide world journals connected topics from ineligible reforms to societal issues and co-edited a publication promoting the regularisation of instrumentality successful China.

His articles advocated mean reforms portion avoiding nonstop disapproval of President Xi Jinping.

His household had initially kept quality of his detention backstage successful the anticipation that charges could beryllium reduced oregon dropped, but were told successful March 2023 that helium would basal trial, they said successful their statement.

Non-government bodies (NGOs) advocating property state person called for his release, with much than 700 journalists, academics and NGO workers signing an online petition for him to beryllium freed.

"Dong Yuyu is simply a talented newsman and writer whose enactment has agelong been respected by colleagues," said Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism astatine Harvard.

"We basal with galore successful hoping for his merchandise and instrumentality to his family."

In February, a Beijing tribunal handed a suspended decease condemnation to Australian writer and pro-democracy blogger, Yang Hengjun, connected espionage charges.