CNHRA EVENT RECORD · CNHRA-E-060697
Dong Yuyu espionage case: sentence, appeal and hospitalization
Date
2022-02-21
Location
Beijing (detention and trial); Tianjin (hospitalization)
Event Type
Detention · Trial · Sentencing
Human Rights Issues
Freedom of the Press · Right to a Fair Trial · Right to Liberty and Security
Record ID
CNHRA-E-060697
Summary
Description
Dong was detained during lunch with a Japanese diplomat in Beijing on February 21, 2022 and spent six months in residential surveillance at a designated location. His trial was held behind closed doors on July 25, 2023. On November 29, 2024, he was sentenced to seven years for espionage.[1][2]
PEN International records that the Beijing High People’s Court rejected Dong’s appeal on November 13, 2025, upholding the sentence. His family continued to call for his release and relayed his response to the case.[2]
According to information his family supplied to RSF, Dong was hospitalized at a prison-affiliated hospital in Tianjin on April 28, 2026. A CT scan showed a mass in the lower lobe of his left lung whose nature required further tests. The family also reported weight loss and arrhythmia and requested medical release and treatment abroad.[3]
Developments
Detained during lunch
Police detained Dong during lunch with a Japanese diplomat in Beijing. Six months of designated-location residential surveillance followed, and his family made the case public in 2023.[1]
Closed trial
The espionage case was heard behind closed doors in Beijing. CPJ describes a hearing of roughly five hours and identifies his diplomatic contacts among the prosecution allegations.[1]
Seven-year sentence
Appeal rejected
PEN International records that the Beijing High People’s Court rejected the appeal and upheld the seven-year term. His family continued to call for his release.[2]
Hospitalization reported by family
His family told RSF that Dong was hospitalized in Tianjin and a CT scan revealed a left-lung mass requiring further tests to identify its nature. They also described weight loss, arrhythmia and the need for further care.[3]
Related People
Organizations
No organizations have been added.
Documents
No documents have been added to this record yet.
Sources
- [1]
CNHRA-S-965735Committee to Protect Journalists
Evidence location: Journalism and Nieman Fellowship; February 21, 2022 detention, July 25, 2023 closed trial and November 29, 2024 sentence.
- [2]
CNHRA-S-972299PEN International
Evidence location: Background, family advocacy and rejection of appeal on November 13, 2025.
- [3]
CNHRA-S-900033Reporters Without Borders
Evidence location: Family information to RSF: April 28, 2026 hospitalization, lung mass requiring further tests and arrhythmia.