Dr. Yang Heng, a 57-year-old Australian author and novelist, was arrested at an airport in Australia in 2019 and has now been sentenced to death. According to international news agencies, Yang Heng, who also holds Chinese citizenship and has worked in the Chinese Ministry of Defense, resigned from his position there. He wrote novels and blogs criticizing the Chinese government and security issues, for which he was also referred to as a “merchant of democracy.”
Dr. Yang Heng was arrested at Guangzhou airport in January 2019 and faced espionage charges, leading to a closed trial in 2021. Australia has strongly reacted to the death sentence, saying they will continue to support Dr. Yang until he reaches safety with his family.
It is worth noting that in the past, China’s foreign ministry has always maintained that Australia should not interfere in China’s internal affairs and respect the country’s judicial independence when issuing statements in support of Dr. Yang Heng.