Friday, November 29, 2024

Journalist sentenced to 7 years in prison for spying in China, US ambassador condemns

Voice of Media November 29, 2024 China, Media, Politics

Beijing (China): China has sentenced a journalist to 7 years in prison on charges of espionage. The journalist was accused of espionage. The journalist's name is Dong Yuyu, who has also worked in China's state media. US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns has condemned Dong's sentence. He said that it is unjust to punish Dong for exercising freedom of expression and press.

Dong Yuyu is 62 years old and has been in jail since he was detained two years ago in February 2022 on charges of espionage. When the police detained him, he worked at 'Guangming Daily'. He was caught by the police while meeting a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant. The police claimed that he often met his 'foreign friends' at that restaurant.

The journalist's family said that when the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court pronounced this verdict, everyone was thrown out of the court. Not only this, a copy of the decision was not given to either him or Dong's lawyer. Apart from this, the decision has not been shared on the court's website either.

#China: Prominent journalist Dong Yuyu was sentenced today to 7 years in prison on espionage charges. His only "crime" was having contact with foreign diplomats. RSF is appalled by this verdict and calls for his immediate release. #FreeDongYuyu https://t.co/wMNxP7Jplp pic.twitter.com/vecUy6Mxeu
— RSF (@RSF_inter) November 29, 2024

Dong's family also said that the then Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi and Shanghai-based chief diplomat Masaru Okada have been described as agents belonging to the spying organization in the decision.

Let us tell you that Dong used to work in the editorial department of Guangming Daily. This newspaper was once considered more liberal than other government-backed newspapers. Dong also worked in the Chinese edition of the New York Times. In his articles, Dong expressed his support for constitutional democracy and political reform. However, later these articles were considered against the stand of the Communist Party.