Yang Hengjun: What is a suspended death sentence in China? EXPLAINED

Beijing: Australian writer and pro-democracy blogger Yang Hengjun was handed a suspended death sentence by a Beijing court on Monday, in what human rights advocates say is an unusually harsh verdict in an espionage-related case. "It has been used more commonly in recent years as a way to reduce the prevalence of executions without abolishing the death penalty altogether," said Ryan Mitchell, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, adding that the exact prevalence of death sentences, including suspensions, is treated by China as a state secret. Patrick Poon, an independent human rights analyst and visiting scholar at the University of Tokyo, said it is "very rare to see espionage cases get a suspended death sentence" in China, especially since the Australian government has been vocal in demanding Yang's release. Also Read: China court awards writer Yang Hengjun 'suspended death sentence', Australia calls it 'harrowing move'