China sentences journalist Dong Yuyu to 7 years in prison for espionage
A well-known Chinese journalist, Dong Yuyu, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for espionage, as reported by his family. Dong, who is a commentator and editor, was arrested by police in February 2022 while meeting with a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant. He has been in police custody since then.
The verdict, which was delivered on Friday, implicated former Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi and Shanghai-based chief diplomat Masaru Okada as members of an espionage organization, according to Dong’s family. Dong had been serving as the deputy head of the editorial department at Guangming Daily, a state-owned newspaper in China, and also contributed to the Chinese edition of the New York Times.
Throughout his career, Dong has been an advocate for constitutional democracy and political reform, which eventually led to his actions being seen as contrary to the stance of China’s Communist Party. Despite being aware of being monitored by state security, Dong maintained contacts with foreign diplomats, scholars, and journalists. He considered Tarumi a friend.
Following Dong’s conviction, his family issued a statement expressing concern over the implications it may have on Chinese citizens interacting with foreign embassies and diplomats. They emphasized the need for every sensible citizen to be troubled by the government’s reasoning.
In response to the sentencing, U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, condemned the decision, stating that punishing Dong for exercising his freedom of speech and press, guaranteed by China’s constitution, is unjust.
The case of Dong Yuyu highlights the challenges faced by journalists and individuals advocating for political reform in China. It also underscores the importance of protecting freedom of speech and press rights globally.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/china-spying-journalist-sentenced-japanese-diplomat-d50beb4ba4fe794869a51d3b944a7c4c?utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter
