BEIJING: China’s closed-door trial of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, accused of providing state secrets to a foreign country, ended on Thursday (Mar 31) with the court deferring its verdict, Australia’s foreign minister said.
It was not clear when a verdict would be handed down. China’s courts have a conviction rate of well over 99 per cent, according to calculations by China Justice Observer, a local web site.
Cheng, 46, was a television anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN before being detained in August 2020. She was formally arrested a year ago.
Cheng’s family members have said they are convinced she is innocent.
A heavy contingent of uniformed police and plain-clothed security personnel were positioned outside the No 2 People’s Intermediate Court in Beijing where Cheng was tried. Police, who had taped off areas close to the north and west entrances of the court, checked journalists’ IDs and asked them to move away.
Australian ambassador Graham Fletcher was denied entry to the court.
“This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory and regrettable. We can have no confidence in the validity of a process which is conducted in secret,” Fletcher told journalists after being barred from the proceedings on Thursday morning.
“Our consular agreement says that we ought to be able to attend trials,” he said before leaving.
Source: CNA