Shujun Wang, a Chinese dissident who fled to the U.S. post-Tiananmen Square, was charged with spying for China. He presented himself as a pro-democracy advocate but was accused of relaying information about critics of the Chinese government. Despite being convicted after a quick trial, a Brooklyn judge opted for three years of supervised release instead of prison time, citing no physical harm caused by his actions and Wang's age-related health issues. In his statement, Wang professed a dream of democracy and acknowledged his transgressions.
Mr. Wang, speaking through a Mandarin interpreter, gave a rambling statement in which he accepted responsibility for his actions, before noting his work as a scholar of the Pacific theater in World War II and his love for democracy.
The judge, Denny Chin, said that though Mr. Wang had committed serious crimes by sharing information with Chinese officials, there was no evidence that anyone had been physically harmed as a result of his actions.
He noted that Mr. Wang, 76, suffered from a variety of ailments, and that a doctor had said his behavior was consistent with senile dementia.
Ever since I was young, I dreamed of a democratic United States, Mr. Wang said.
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