Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reiterated its call for journalist Gao Yu’s immediate release after a Beijing people’s high court today reduced her sentence on appeal from seven to five years in prison. Gao did none of the things she is alleged to have done.
Aged 71 and a recipient of UNESCO’s Guillermo Cano prize, Gao Yu has been detained since 24 April 2014. She was convicted seven months ago on a charge of divulging state secrets.
Her family and lawyers, and many international organizations including RSF, have repeatedly drawn international public opinion’s attention to the decline in her state of health in recent months.
“Gao Yu is innocent so we cannot be satisfied with a reduced jail term,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “Gao must be freed outright. The decline in her state of health alone is grounds for releasing her. Keeping her in detention would mean letting her die in prison for a crime she did not commit.”
Ever since Xi Jinping became president, China has seen an unprecedented crackdown on those who defend fundamental rights and freedoms, especially freedom of information.
China is ranked 176th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
Update – 28 November 2015
After a Beijing people’s high court yesterday reduced journalist Gao Yu’s jail sentence on a charge of divulging state secrets from seven to five years on appeal, the court gave her permission to temporarily serve the sentence at a friend’s home so that she can receive medical treatment.
Gao has heart problems, which Reporters Without Borders (RSF) repeatedly drew to the attention of the Chinese authorities and international community in recent months .
However, the authorities could send her back to prison at any time if they decide that her state of health is compatible with prison conditions.
“Our reaction is a mixture of optimism and concern,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “The court’s decision to let Gao Yu receive treatment at home is good news, but it offers no guarantees for the future.
“The authorities are just acting under international pressure. We fear they will send her back to prison if the pressure lets up. Gao committed no crime, so she should receive a full and unconditional release.”
Aged 71, Gao suffers from a heart ailment and lymphadenopathy, a swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck. Her condition has worsened significantly since her arrest in May 2014 and, according to her lawyers, she had a heart attack last month.