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An Australian journalist recently released after spending three years in detention in China says she was accused of sharing a confidential document shortly before the details were made public.
Key points:
Cheng Lei confirmed that the allegation against her related to sharing a government briefing that had been provided to media under embargo.
The embargo was only lifted for “a few minutes”
She is readjusting to life in Australia but says she “still expects people to fall from the sky and arrest me”.
Cheng Lei spoke publicly for the first time since returning to Australia last week.
The journalist was working for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN when she was accused in August 2020 of “providing state secrets abroad”, an allegation she denied.
She will spend three years in detention before being released, after having been sentenced to a sentence already served.
In an interview with Sky News, Ms Cheng confirmed the allegation against her related to sharing a government briefing, which had been provided to media under embargo.
The embargo was only broken for “a few minutes”.
Governments, including in Australia, routinely provide documents or briefings to journalists on a confidential, or “embargoed”, basis before the information is made public.
Cheng Lei spoke with the Prime Minister after returning to Australia last week.
When asked if she thought she had actually done something wrong, Ms. Cheng said the purpose of her detention seemed to be to demonstrate that it was wrong.
“The purpose of (the detention), as well as all the discussions and writing of self-assessments that followed, is to drive home this point: In China, this is a big sin,” she said .
“You have harmed the homeland and the authority of the state has been eroded because of you.
“And what seems harmless to us here, and I’m sure it’s not limited to embargoes but many other things, doesn’t exist in China.”
Ms. Cheng initially refused during the interview to elaborate on the allegations against her, but later confirmed some details.
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Arrested at work, before six months of isolation
She described being arrested at work, after being called by her boss to supposedly discuss an upcoming series.
“I get to the big meeting room and there are 20 people,” she said.
“And then someone stands up, shows their badge and says you’re wanted.
“Immediately they take away my belongings and I am escorted to my apartment where they had already arranged with my complex security to go through the garage, to my apartment, where they searched for evidence all day .”
Ms. Cheng was initially held in solitary confinement for six months, with 15 minutes of a small window open to let in fresh air each day, but never released.
“It’s to make you feel isolated, bored, pained and hopeless,” she said.
“My experience was in the first five months, I was able to read books. And I had a pen and paper to write on.
“And it was a lot less painful than the last month, 12 hours a day of pure sitting and very little chance of getting up and walking, pacing back and forth in a very small room.”
She was then transferred to another facility, where she had cellmates.
But she said that throughout her detention, the lights were never turned off, day or night.
Later during her detention, she discovered that she could learn languages from her cellmates and read more, thanks to books and letters sent by her family in Australia.
The first time she used a regular toilet and saw herself in a mirror since her detention began was at the courthouse where she was sentenced before her release.
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Readjusting to Australian life
Cheng Lei praised the work of Australian diplomats, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the media in lobbying for and securing his release.
But she spoke about the challenges of returning to normal life in Australia and her fears that authorities would suppress it.
“Because of this whole ordeal, I always expect people to fall from the sky and arrest me,” she said.
“And maybe that’s something I need to overcome. That doesn’t happen here.
“Or, you know, something will happen to my children or something will be taken away from me.”
She said her immediate plans were to become a parent again after lost years, continue writing, cooking and traveling.