Statement on Ms Cheng Lei

  • Statement

The Australian Government has been notified by Chinese authorities that Australian citizen, Ms Cheng Lei, will face trial on 31 March 2022.

The Australian Government has regularly raised serious concerns about Ms Cheng’s welfare and conditions of detention. Our officials have visited her regularly, most recently on 21 March.

We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms.

We have asked also that Australian officials be permitted to attend Ms Cheng’s hearing on 31 March, in line with China’s obligations under the Australia-China bilateral consular agreement.

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