A Beijing court has sentenced former Guangming Daily journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison on espionage charges, his family confirmed on Friday. Dong, 62, was detained in February 2022 while dining with a Japanese diplomat. Press freedom groups condemned his conviction as “baseless and deeply unjust”.

Dong Yuyu is a respected reporter internationally and his family is dismayed by the sentence. Journalist rights groups are calling for his immediate release. A veteran Chinese state media journalist has been sentenced to seven years in prison for espionage, a verdict his family describes as a "grave injustice".

Dong Yuyu’s detention on espionage charges shows how the space for independent thought and open discussion in China has narrowed since Xi Jinping took power in 2012.