Chinese Journalist and Former Harvard Fellow Dong Yuyu Sentenced to 7 Years

Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu, a former Harvard Nieman Fellow and pro-reform columnist for Guangming Daily, was sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage charges, The Washington Post reports. Detained in 2022 after meeting a Japanese diplomat, Dong's trial was conducted in secret, barring foreign media and diplomats. His family dismissed the charges as "patently absurd" and part of China's broader crackdown on dissent under Xi Jinping. Dong, known for his advocacy of political reform, has drawn international support, with scholars and journalists calling for his release. He remains isolated from his family since his detention.