China delays Australian writer Yang Hengjun’s espionage trial by three months: friend

Yang, a naturalised Australian citizen known for advocating greater democracy in China, was detained in Guangzhou in January 2019

His case is one of a number of disputes straining relations between Beijing and Canberra, including clashes over Covid-19, trade, and alleged interference

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Yang Hengjun, a prominent author and academic who is now an Australian citizen, will now go on trial on espionage charges in April 2021. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:28pm, 21 Dec 2020Updated: 9:50pm, 22 Dec 2020

The espionage trial of Australian writer and academic Yang Hengjun has been delayed by Chinese authorities until April, his friend and supporter Feng Chongyi said on Monday.

Yang, who has been detained in China since January 2019, had been due to go on trial in January after being indicted earlier this year on espionage charges at Beijing No 2 Intermediate People’s Court.

Feng, a professor at the University of Technology Sydney who previously taught Yang, said Chinese authorities had explained the trial was postponed until April 9 due to the “serious and complicated” nature of the case.

He said he believed the delay was actually because of Yang’s refusal to confess to any wrongdoing, complicating proceedings in a legal system that relies heavily on confessions to establish guilt.

In a faxed response to This Week in Asia on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said Yang’s case would be handled “in accordance with the law and China is a law-abiding country”.

The delay is another kind of torture

Feng Chongyi

In a message to his family in September, Yang maintained his innocence and vowed he would “never confess to something I haven’t done”.

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