Veteran Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu sentenced to seven years in prison for ‘espionage’

A Beijing court has sentenced former Guangming Daily journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison on espionage charges, his family confirmed on Friday.

Dong, 62, was detained in February 2022 while dining with a Japanese diplomat.

Press freedom groups condemned his conviction as “baseless and deeply unjust”.

"Yuyu is being persecuted for the independence he has demonstrated during a lifetime spent as a journalist," his family said in a statement quoted by NPR.

They called Dong’s sentencing a “grave injustice”, not only to him and his family but to the broader community of “freethinking” Chinese citizens and journalists.

"Sentencing Yuyu to seven years in prison on no evidence declares to the world the bankruptcy of the justice system in China," the family said in a statement to Reuters.

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According to court records, the Japanese diplomat Dong was found dining with had been identified as a member of an "espionage organisation”.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said the diplomat had been involved in activities "inconsistent with their capacity" while in the country, the Strait Times reported. The diplomat was subsequently released.

Dong’s family warned that his conviction would set a chilling precedent as Chinese citizens could now be accused of espionage for maintaining international ties.

The trial was held behind closed doors in July 2023 and journalists were barred by police from entering the court on the day of his sentencing. An American diplomat attempting to observe the proceedings was also denied entry.

Dong’s lawyers and family were allowed to attend the sentencing judgment which was pronounced in court. They were not given the written order, however, NPR reported.

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Dong’s case has drawn international criticism. Beh Lih Yi, Asia programme manager for the Committee to Protect Journalists, called for immediate action. “Chinese authorities must reverse this unjust verdict, and protect the right of journalists to work freely and safely in China. Dong Yuyu should be reunited with his family immediately.”

Dong, former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and visiting scholar at Japan’s Keio and Hokkaido universities, spent decades in journalism.

He joined Guangming Daily in 1987 and rose to become the deputy editor of its commentary section, where he wrote about legal reforms and social issues.

While advocating for moderate changes, he avoided direct criticism of president Xi Jinping.

His family initially kept his detention private, hoping for leniency, but went public after learning in March 2023 that he would face trial. More than 700 journalists, academics and NGO workers have since signed a petition for his release.

Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, expressed admiration for his contributions, stating: "Dong Yuyu is a talented reporter and author whose work has long been respected by colleagues. We stand with many in hoping for his release and return to his family."

The Washington-based advocacy group National Press Club called Dong “the epitome of people-to-people exchanges China has fostered for 30 years”.

Dong’s case has drawn comparisons to other recent convictions on espionage charges in China. Australian writer Yang Hengjun received a suspended death sentence on similar charges earlier this year.