A court in Beijing is expected to rule on Thursday in Dong Yuyu, a Chinese journalist who is serving a seven-year prison sentence on sword charges.
The detention of Dong, a senior columnist with a long career in Chinese State Media, has been criticized by the US government and international human rights and humanitarian organizations.
As well as a columnist for the Communist Party’s daily newspaper, Dong has had his work published in the Chinese Editions of the New York Times and the Financial Times. He won a prestigious Nieman fellowship at Harvard University in 2006 and a visiting scholar at two Japanese universities.
The Nieman Foundation described Dong as a “beloved member” of the International Nieman Community and called for his release.
Dong was arrested in February 2022 in Beijing while having lunch with a Japanese Diplomat. The diplomat was also imprisoned but released after a few hours. Dong has been in custody since and was charged with espionage in April 2023.
Dong was convicted in November 2024 and sentenced to seven years. He is appealing against his conviction next month.
Under Chinese law, someone convicted of espionage can be imprisoned for three to 10 years for less serious charges or receive severe punishment, including severe punishments, including serious charges.
Dong mentioned several senior Japanese diplomats who did not appear to have been expelled from China despite being involved in Dong’s alleged espionage. Dong’s family said it was evidence of his innocence.
Dong Yifu, his son, said: “It is very clear that there is no legal argument to uphold the verdict … there is no evidence.”
He said the case against his father “basically says that Chinese people can be severely punished for talking to foreigners in China that they associate with Chinese people that they associate with.”
Dong YiFU continued: “These are the terrible messages that the Chinese government sent through my father’s case.”
Ian Johnson, a writer and friend of Dong’s, said that the Chinese Journalist “represents the people abroad. It’s all suppressed.
Dong is known in Chinese media circles for his reporting on social, corruption and constitutional issues and the constitution is a Uniquely Controlled Media Landscape. In 2017, he was threatened with a demon after an investigation by the Communist Party of China deemed his writing “anti-socialist”.
Beh Lih Yi, the Direcy Director of Regific in Asia Pacific at Committee to protect journalistssaid Dong’s Criscinment “creates a chilling effect designed to prevent or stop the government of foreigners, and it can be better to release the activities of Espire.
The Committee to Protect Journalists will honor Dong with an International Press Instruction Award at a ceremony in New York on 20 November.
A Chinese government spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.