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Jailed Australian journalist speaks out about harsh conditions

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Cheng Lei, a Chinese-born Australian journalist for CGTN, the English-language channel of China Central Television, attends a public event in Beijing on Aug. 12, 2020. [AP Photo]

As Chinese Australian journalist Cheng Lei nears three years in detention in China this Sunday on murky espionage charges, she has issued a rare public statement about the harsh conditions she faces and her longing to reunite with her children.

"In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year," Cheng wrote in a letter shared by her partner Nick Coyle, who obtained the missive from Australian diplomatic officers. "It's not the same in here. I haven't seen a tree in 3 years."

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