Australian writer and democracy advocate Yang Hengjun has been formally charged with espionage by Chinese authorities.
His lawyer Rob Stary said it was still unclear what the spy charges related to.
“We think it relates to espionage on behalf of Australia, but it’s not specified on the charge sheet,” Mr Stary said on Tuesday.
“We’d obviously be disturbed by that if it was the allegation, because there is absolutely no foundation for it at all.”
The Chinese-born writer was detained in Guangzhou earlier this year after flying in from New York.
Mr Stary suspects the espionage charge relates to Mr Yang’s democracy activism.
“He’s a blogger and that’s what he does, he’s an academic, he’s of a different ilk,” he said.
“He had been active and he’s been politically active in promoting democratic values. That’s the basis of it, as we understand.”
Mr Stary wants the Australian government to get involved.
“We need intervention from the government,” he said.
“It has to be resolved diplomatically and if there is no real or proper foundation for those charges, then he ought to be released and repatriated.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment.
Last month, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was deeply disappointed the writer and former diplomat had been transferred to criminal detention.
“If he is being detained for his political views, then he should be released,” she said at the time.
But a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said Beijing was carrying out a lawful investigation.
“China deplores the statement made by the Australian foreign minister and urges the Australian side to stop interfering in the handling of the case by the Chinese side and stop issuing irresponsible remarks,” the spokesperson said.
The 53-year-old, who has held Australian citizenship since 2002 and has a doctorate from the University of Technology Sydney, was living in New York as a visiting scholar at Columbia University.
Australian officials have visited Dr Yang in detention at least six times.
But Senator Payne said despite writing twice to her Chinese counterpart asking for a fair and transparent resolution and for Dr Yang to be allowed to see his lawyers, that had not happened.
“We expect basic standards of justice and procedural fairness to be met.”
China’s statement said the Beijing State Security Bureau has taken compulsory measures and investigated Dr Yang according to law.
“The Chinese authority will handle the case in strict accordance with the law and fully protect his legal rights.”
-AAP
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