This archive report was first published on 2 December 2019.
On December 2, 2019, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne spoke out against China's treatment of Australian citizen Dr. Yang Hengjun, who has been detained since January.
Dr. Yang, a writer, was recently charged with spying, which could result in a lengthy prison sentence.
According to Payne, Dr. Yang is subject to increased isolation, with restrictions on his communications with family and friends, and the resumption of daily interrogation, including while shackled.
Payne described this treatment as 'unacceptable' and stated that repeated requests had been made for Dr. Yang to receive basic standards of justice, procedural fairness, and humane treatment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denied that Dr. Yang was a spy, but rights groups have described the arrests of foreign nationals in China as politically motivated.
China's silence on Dr. Yang's fate has been a point of friction in relations with Australia.
