China: CFWIJ Calls For Australian Journalist Cheng Lei’s Immediate Release
Location: China, Beijing
Date: March 29, 2022
Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei is due before a court in Beijing this Thursday (March 31), after being detained incommunicado for over 19 months over allegations of "illegally supplying state secrets overseas”. The journalist, who worked as a business news anchor for Chinese state-affiliated media group China Global Television (CGTN) for a decade, was formally arrested and charged last year. As her trial nears, the Coalition For Women In Journalism reiterates its call for Cheng Lei’s release.
The journalist is to be produced before Beijing No 2 People’s Intermediate Court at 9.00 AM this Thursday, according to news reports.
Cheng was first detained on August 14, 2020, with no warrant or legal cause disclosed. She was held under "residential surveillance at a designated location”. The journalist waited for more than six months in pre-trial detention without knowing the accusations against her.
After almost half a year of holding her incommunicado without access to a lawyer, the Chinese police officially arrested the CGTN news anchor on February 8, 2021 and charged her. Shortly after, the Chinese authorities confirmed that a formal investigation against the journalist on charges of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas” had begun.
Australia has earlier raised concerns about the "lack of transparency" in Cheng’s case while her family maintains that the journalist is innocent.
According to Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, the allegations against Cheng Lei are “broad” and vague. Similar concerns have been raised by press freedom groups, including the CFWIJ, and human rights defenders, since the journalist was first detained.
Cheng was born in China but moved to Australia as a child. She started to build her career first with CNBC and moved as a television anchor to China’s English-language channel CGTN.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns Cheng Lei’s arrest and renews calls for her immediate release. We urge the judicial and state authorities to respect the freedom of the press and drop all baseless charges against the journalists. Beijing's onslaught against the independent press has disproportionately impacted women journalists. In 2021, the CFWIJ found China to be the worst jailer of women journalists with at least 17 incarcerated.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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