BBC News Top Stories-World Yang Hengjun Australian writer given suspended death penalty in China
February 5, 2024 2 min 306 words
这则报道揭示了中澳之间敏感而紧张的外交关系。澳大利亚作家杨恒均被中国法院判以缓期死刑，引发国际社会强烈关切。报道中指出，杨恒均被指控从事间谍活动，但相关指控并未公开。这引发质疑，特别是在一个法治透明度有待改善的国家。澳大利亚政府对此表示愤慨，强烈谴责北京的决定。中澳关系一直备受关注，此事势必对两国外交关系产生深远影响。报道中提到杨恒均曾在中国国家安全部工作，而其被称为“民主传播者”的绰号也表明他的政治倾向。事件发展背后或涉及更深层次的政治角力，需要密切关注。这一案件牵涉到人权、言论自由等核心价值，国际社会应当共同呼吁对杨恒均的公正对待。
Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court, five years after he was arrested and accused of spying.
The sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, according to Australian officials.
Dr Yang - a scholar and novelist who blogged about Chinese affairs - denies the charges, which have not been made public.
The Australian government says it is "appalled" by Beijing's decision.
"[We] will be communicating our response in the strongest terms," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Monday.
"All Australians want to see Dr Yang reunited with his family. We will not relent in our advocacy."
Dr Yang, who previously worked for China's Ministry of State Security, was nicknamed the "democracy peddler", but his writings often avoided direct criticisms of the government.
The 57-year-old was intercepted at Guangzhou airport in January 2019 and accused of spying. His case has mostly unfolded behind closed doors since then, including a secret trial in 2021.
Australian officials have previously raised concerns, but China's foreign ministry has warned them not to interfere in the case, and to respect the nation's "judicial sovereignty".
Dr Yang has been subjected to "more than 300 interrogations" and "six months of intense torture" while in detention, his family says.
Australia's Ambassador to China has previously accused China of arbitrarily detaining Dr Yang, and his supporters say it is a "political persecution".
"He is punished by the Chinese government for his criticism of human rights abuses in China and his advocacy for universal values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law," his friend, Sydney academic Feng Chongyi, told the BBC in a statement.
This is a breaking news story - more to follow.