China: One Year Since Cheng Lei Trial - No Verdict Yet
Location: China, Beijing
Date: March 31, 2023
China silent on Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei’s sentencing. Journalist held since 2020 without access to legal counsel. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands Chinese authorities immediately drop all charges against Cheng Lei.
“Today marks one year since Australian citizen Ms. Cheng Lei faced a closed trial in Beijing on national security charges,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on March 31, 2023.
The CFWIJ has documented the high-profile diplomatic case of Australian journalist and former TV anchor Cheng Lei, who has been detained in China for over two and a half years on national security charges. Lei's trial was held one year ago behind closed doors in Beijing on March 31, 2022.
Chinese authorities detained Lei on August 14, 2020, and placed her under "residential surveillance" on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas.
Under this ruling, China keeps detainees in secret custody for up to six months without charge, denying detainees the right to be visited by family members or lawyers.
"This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory, and regrettable. We can have no confidence in the validity of the process, which is conducted in secret," said Graham Fletcher, Australia's ambassador to China.
The Australian Prime Minister, the foreign minister, and the deputy prime minister have all raised Lei's case in talks with their Chinese counterparts.
In an interview for Sky News, Lei's partner, Nick Coyle, said that the last consular virtual visit was in April 2022 and "as far as we know, the visits are off indefinitely."
Press Freedom China
China is the world’s number one jailer of journalists. The CFWIJ has documented various cases of violations against women journalists by Chinese authorities in 2023 alone.
On January 2nd, 2023, Urumqi police forces accused journalist Zhanargul Zhumatai of having ties with foreign terrorists and spies. They accused the journalist of slandering the state with her “lies'.
China exiled journalist Su Yutong has been a target of abuse since leaving the country over a decade ago.
Dutch China correspondent Marije Vlaskamp has received threats of Chinese origin while reporting on Chinese dissident Wang Jingyu.
China, notorious for silencing journalists, must allow journalists to freely do their job without facing repercussions for their reporting. The country is doomed if it doesn’t allow critical voices to be heard. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns trial delays and secret court hearings in Cheng Lei's case. We urge Chinese authorities to cease pursuing charges against Lei and allow the journalist to reunite with her family. We also call upon relevant UN agencies to investigate the situation and the breaches committed by the Chinese government.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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