Australian Yang Hengjun receives suspended death sentence in China
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The news: Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian government is "appalled" after Australian citizen Yang Hengjun received a suspended death sentence by the Chinese government.
The numbers: Yang has been detained since his arrest in Guangzhou in January 2019 on national security charges, however his verdict and sentence have been subject to repeated delays since his closed trial on 27 May 2021.
Wong said the government believes the sentence can be commuted to life imprisonment after two years if the individual does not commit any serious crimes during that period.
The context: The Foreign Minister said Yang, who has always claimed that he is innocent of the charges, will be able to appeal the sentence. Wong declared the Australian government "will not relent in our advocacy" for the writer and would be "communicating our response in the strongest terms".
What they said: Wong added: "This period has been extraordinarily difficult. Like so many Australians, I am moved by Dr Yang's strength, and the strength of his family and friends".
The source: Foreign Minister media release
