On August 24, 2020, a court in China sentenced 78-year-old US citizen John Suda to life in prison on spying charges. Suda was arrested in October 2019 while he was visiting China. He was accused of gathering intelligence on behalf of a foreign country, which the court did not name.
The Chinese government has not provided any evidence to back up its accusations, and the US State Department has stated that the charges are baseless. Suda’s family also denies any wrongdoing, and his lawyers argue that the case was politically motivated.
The US has expressed deep concern over the case and has called for Suda’s immediate release. The State Department has also urged China to uphold its commitments to protect human rights, including the right to a fair and transparent trial.