Yang Hengjun, an Australian writer, academic and blogger, was condemned to death in China, but the execution of the sentence was suspended. Yang was arrested in 2019 and accused of espionage. According to his supporters and the Australian government, which maintains his innocence, Yang was convicted for his pro-democracy writings.
The death sentence with a suspended sentence is specifically provided for by Chinese laws, and provides that the condemned person will be killed only if found guilty of other crimes in the two years following the sentence. Otherwise the sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment, or to 25 years in prison in case of good behavior.
Yang is a former Chinese diplomat who gained Australian citizenship in 2002 and later became a writer dedicated to pro-democracy in China. Chinese laws do not allow dual citizenship. Details about his charges were never released by Chinese authorities.