After being held for more than 19 months, Australian journalist Cheng Lei has gone on trial in a heavily-guarded Beijing court on spying accusations.
Cheng was formally arrested a year ago on suspicion of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas.” She was a leading business news presenter on Chinese state broadcaster CGTN when she was detained in August 2020.
The closed-door hearing at Beijing’s No. 2 People’s Intermediate Court began around 9.30 a.m. (01:30 a.m. GMT) on Thursday morning and is expected to last a few hours.
The allegations against her are unclear, but if proven guilty, the mother of two may face a penalty of up to life in jail.
Outside the court, uniformed and plain-clothed officers were on duty, ensuring that the public was safe. According to the Reuters news agency, police cordoned off sections near the court’s north entrance, verified journalists’ identity, and ordered them to leave.
According to a consular agreement between the two countries, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne requested that Australian diplomats be allowed to attend Cheng’s hearing. However, Australian Ambassador Graham Fletcher told journalists that he was not allowed into the court.
Statement on Cheng Leihttps://t.co/C9vZ9Aiabg
— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) March 31, 2022
“We have no faith in the validity of a process that is performed in secret,” he said, describing the decision as “very disturbing.”
Cheng has been visited by Australian officials on a regular basis, and the last time they met her was on March 21. The country has previously expressed its displeasure with Cheng’s treatment and the “lack of openness” surrounding the matter.
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