Sandy Phan-Gillis arrived Friday in Los Angeles; China has not released details of charges, and Phan-Gillis’ lawyer declines to comment on case
An American woman convicted of espionage in China and held without a trial for two years is back in the U. S. after being deported, according to her husband.
Jeff Gillis said in a statement that his wife, Sandy Phan-Gillis, left China Friday and arrived in Los Angeles the same day — removing a source of tension between the U. S. and China.
A court ordered her deportation Tuesday after sentencing her to 3½ years in prison for espionage.
The Chinese government has not released details of the charges, and Phan-Gillis’ lawyer told Reuters he could not comment on the case because it involved “state secrets.”
Phan-Gillis’ husband said the Chinese government accused his wife of visiting the country twice on spy missions in 1996 and with collaborating with the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to capture two U. S.-based Chinese spies and turn them into double agents.
