China: Five years after conviction, PEN International renews call for imprisoned writer Yang Hengjun’s release

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‘Five years after Yang Hengjun’s secret trial, the injustice he faces remains as stark as ever. A writer should never face imprisonment, let alone a suspended death sentence, for peacefully expressing ideas and engaging in public debate. The Chinese authorities must quash Yang’s conviction, end his prolonged ordeal, and release him,’ said Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee.

29 May 2026: This week marks the fifth anniversary of the closed-door trial of Australian writer and pro-democracy advocate Yang Hengjun. PEN International renews its call for the Chinese authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally.

Yang has been detained since January 2019. On 27 May 2021, after more than two years in detention, he was tried on charges of ‘espionage’ behind closed doors in Beijing. Australian consular representatives were barred from attending despite a bilateral agreement intended to guarantee access to proceedings involving Australian citizens. Yang reportedly pleaded not guilty and sought to exclude testimony he said had been obtained under torture during hundreds of interrogation sessions. His requests to call witnesses and present evidence in his defence were reportedly denied.

On 5 February 2024, he was handed a suspended death sentence. Under Chinese law, the sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment after a two-year period of so-called ‘good behaviour’. PEN International considers Yang’s conviction to be the outcome of a deeply flawed and opaque judicial process that has denied him his fundamental rights.

In addition, PEN International remains gravely concerned about Yang’s deteriorating health in detention. He has reportedly developed a large kidney cyst that has not been adequately treated and has spent extended periods in solitary confinement. In a January 2025 letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Yang described his detention as the ‘hardest and darkest chapter’ of his life and appealed to the Australian government to help secure his return so he could receive medical treatment and reunite with his family.

A novelist, scholar, and political commentator, Yang Hengjun is known for promoting democratic values and human rights through his writing. He is the author of the Fatal Weakness spy trilogy and was widely followed online for his commentary on political reform and civil liberties in China prior to his arrest.

PEN International calls on the Chinese authorities to quash Yang Hengjun’s conviction and release him immediately and unconditionally; ensure he receives adequate medical care without delay; investigate allegations that testimony used against him was obtained through torture; and uphold China’s international human rights obligations, including the right to a fair trial and freedom of expression.

Note to Editors:

For further information please contact Michael Rosen-Lupu, Head of Asia-Pacific region at PEN International, email: [email protected]

For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns at PEN International Communications and Campaigns,  [email protected]