London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

A 10-Year-Old Is Under Trial In China. Reason: Leaking "State Secrets"

A 10-Year-Old Is Under Trial In China. Reason: Leaking "State Secrets"

China: 10-year-old Cheng Lei, who is born in China and migrated to Australia was detained by Chinese authorities over allegedly revealing state secrets.
Citing allegations of leaking 'state secrets', China has been detaining people as young as 10 years of age, conducting trials behind closed doors and violating the basic principle of a fair trial.

It is worrisome that the term 'state secret' used by China is wide and very vague. Chinese law does provide any definition of the term as such.

In one of the incidents, a 10-year-old Cheng Lei, who is born in China and migrated to Australia was detained by Chinese authorities over allegedly revealing state secrets. The Australian Embassy August 2020 announced that they had been notified by Chinese authorities that Cheng Lei was suspected of illegally revealing state secrets outside of China and had been detained.

However, no details were given to the Embassy of the trial as it happened behind closed doors. Her lawyer and family have been forbidden to speak about the trial. Family visits are prohibited and Cheng Lei has limited contact through letters only.

Her elderly parents and children live in Australia and are very worried. The Australian Ambassador was prevented from attending the trial. In its defence, Chinese authorities said that the decision will be announced later but no details have been provided yet, reported The Hong Kong Post.

Graham Fletcher, Australian Ambassador while speaking to the media said, "This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory and regrettable. We can have no confidence in the validity of a process which is conducted in secret. Our consular agreement says that we ought to be able to attend trials."

The case of Cheng Lei is not the only one as China has a long-standing history of detention and of carrying out the trials behind closed doors. China's criminal laws have been used to crack down on foreign human rights activists and media as well as citizen-journalists reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic and the human rights violations during the Hong Kong protests and of Uyghur Muslims, as per the media outlet.

Another defamed form of detention used by China is Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL). This form of detention is widely criticized for being archaic and a gross violation of human rights. There have been allegations of extreme physical and mental torture, including psychological torture suffered by detainees under RSDL.
Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
And to think this is what the Dems and the likes of the squad wants for America. You can't make this shit up folks. Vote like your freedom depends on it..... It does.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×