Australian journalist Cheng Lei is set to face trial in Beijing on Thursday on state secret charges, as leaders in the media call for her release.
Lei, who worked as a television anchor for Chinese state media, has been held in prison for 19 months on suspicion of relaying state secrets. It remains unclear if Australian diplomats will be permitted to attend the trial.
In a statement, Australian and United States media leaders have condemned China’s secretive prosecution and detention of Lei, who is an Australian citizen.
The National Press Club of Australia and its U.S counterpart, the International Federation of Journalists and Australia’s Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance said Lei is being held “on dubious charges that have yet to be substantiated with any evidence”.
The statement calls on the Chinese government to conduct a fair, open and public trial for Cheng Lei.
“We have urged the Chinese government to show compassion by allowing her to return to Australia and we condemn her arbitrary detention and the secretive trial process she has endured,” the statement said.
Laura Tingle, the president of Australia’s National Press Club said the group regards the treatment of Cheng Lei as a grave threat to an Australian journalist.
“We call for her release from detention so she can return to Australia and her family,” Tingle said in the statement.
Born in China, Cheng attended the University of Queensland and worked as an accountant and financial analyst in Australia from 1995 to 2000, before moving to China where she joined the state broadcaster CCTV.
She then became the China correspondent for CNBC Asia for nine years, before returning to CCTV in 2012.
She was then the anchor of a business program on China Global Television Network.
Cheng Lei was detained in August 2020, and has not been able to see her children, aged 10 and 12, who live in Australia.