A China-born Australian democracy blogger would not appeal his suspended death sentence imposed by a Beijing court, with his family yesterday saying that a legal challenge would be detrimental to his welfare.
Yang Hengjun (楊恒均) was found guilty of espionage following a closed trial and sentenced two weeks ago to death with a two-year reprieve. Such sentences are often commuted to life in prison after the two years.
A statement from Yang’s family and close friends said they strongly supported the 58-year-old’s decision to waive his right to appeal.
Photo: Feng Chongyi via AP
“There are two practical reasons why an appeal would be detrimental to Yang’s welfare,” the statement said.
First, there were no grounds to believe the judicial system would remedy his “unjust” sentence, and second, an appeal would only delay the possibility of Yang receiving adequate medical care after five years of “inhumane” treatment and “neglect” in custody, it said.
Yang’s supporters have urged Canberra to pressure Beijing to release him from prison on medical parole or to transfer him to Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government objected to the sentence handed to Yang and would continue to call for his release.
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) said her government respected the “difficult decision” Yang had made to waive his appeal rights and would continue to advocate for him at every opportunity and at the highest levels.
“All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his loved ones,” she added.
Yang, a former Chinese diplomat and state security agent who became a political commentator and writer of spy novels in Australia, was detained in January 2019 on arrival in Guangzhou, China, on a flight from New York with his wife and teenage stepdaughter.
He was tried in Beijing in May 2021. The details of his case have not been disclosed. Yang, who became an Australian citizen in 2002, has denied working as a spy for Australia or the US.
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