Australian journalist Cheng Lei has spoken publicly for the first time since her release from a Chinese prison, describing her three-year detention as 'like being buried alive'. The 48-year-old former CGTN business reporter was arrested in August 2020 for breaking a news embargo by a few minutes, a crime she described as a 'big sin' in China.
In an interview with Sky News, Cheng detailed her initial six months in solitary confinement, where lights were always on and she was subjected to sleep deprivation and isolation. She was held in a system known as 'residential surveillance at a designated location', a network of prisons for security threats. During her final month of isolation, she was not allowed to read or write, spending days in a small dark room with only 15 minutes of 'fresh air' through a curtained window.
To cope, Cheng translated poems in her head, had imaginary conversations with her partner Nick Coyle, and created a mental radio station she called 'coffin FM'. After six months, she was transferred to a prison where she had a cellmate and could speak Cantonese. She taught herself Italian, Spanish and Japanese, and treasured over 200 books sent by her partner, often caressing them as a connection to him.
Cheng noted a change in her treatment after Australia's Labor government came to power, as relations with China began to thaw. She was reunited with her children and mother last week, and has been adjusting to life back in Melbourne. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that her release was not part of a deal with Beijing, but followed the completion of China's judicial process. The Australian government continues to advocate for the release of writer Yang Hengjun, who has been detained since January 2019.
