In the email, Peng Shuai intentionally asserted that her previous sexual abuse accusations were “untrue.”
Beijing, China:
The women’s tennis boss cast doubt on an email posted on Chinese media purportedly from tennis star Peng Shuai, saying it “only raised my concerns about her safety”. that.”
Steve Simon, WTA president, said in a statement that he was “very hard to believe” the email was written by Peng, who had not been informed since allegations two weeks ago that a powerful Chinese politician sexually assaulted her.
Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open mixed doubles champion, alleged on Weibo-like Twitter earlier this month that former deputy prime minister Zhang Gaoli had “forced” her to have sex in a long-term relationship.
These claims were quickly dismissed on social media and she has not been seen since, sparking growing concern about her health.
However, the state-run CGTN released a screenshot on Twitter of what it said was an email written by Peng to Simon and other WTA officials.
In the email, Peng purportedly asserted that her previous sexual abuse allegations were “untrue” and said she was “resting at home and everything is fine.”
But suspicions were quickly flagged about the language used in the purported email from Peng, which Twitter users noted had a pointer visible in the screenshot posted by CGTN.
Simon says he’s struggling to believe it’s authentic.
“Today’s statement by Chinese state media regarding Peng Shuai only adds to my concerns about her safety and whereabouts,” Simon wrote in a statement.
“It is very hard for me to believe that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or to believe what is being attributed to her,” he added.
He said he had repeatedly tried to contact her through various means of communication but to no avail.
He called for “independent and verifiable evidence that she is safe”.
‘Incredible Courage’
Simon said: “Peng Shuai showed incredible bravery in describing allegations of sexual assault against a former top Chinese government official.
“Her sexual assault allegations must be respected, investigated with full transparency and uncensored.
“Women’s voices need to be heard and respected, not censored or dictated.”
China has remained silent over growing interest in the tennis star, whose statement marks the first time the fledgling #MeToo movement has attacked the top leadership of the ruling Communist Party.
But Beijing has previously faced accusations of using forced confessions in state media, with British regulators revoking CGTN’s license for failing to comply with fair play and fair play rules. privacy.
William Nee of the advocacy group China Human Rights Defenders said that Peng’s statement “should not be taken for granted”.
“The Chinese government has a long history of arbitrarily arresting people involved in controversial cases, controlling their freedom of expression, and making them come forward,” he said in a statement. forced statements.
Nee has appealed to Beijing to prove that she is not detained.
‘State power’
Mareike Ohlberg of the German Marshall Fund wrote on Twitter that these types of messages “are not intended to convince people but to threaten and demonstrate the power of the state.”
The message from Beijing was clear: “‘We’re telling you she’s fine, but who are you to say otherwise?’,” she wrote.
Details of Peng’s allegations are still sought on the Chinese internet.
On November 2, Peng wrote on social media that Zhang – at the age of 70 – had “forced” her to have sex and said they had had an affair that lasted several years.
However, the post appeared to have been quickly deleted, prompting swift accusations from critics of Beijing of online censorship.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Wednesday said she was “shocked” by the incident, and Novak Djokovic and many other players in recent days said they were extremely worried for her.
American tennis player Jessica Pegula tweeted Thursday that she hopes the WTA “continues to show what we stand for as players.”
“I hope more people, not just tennis players, shed some light on this disturbing situation,” she wrote.
The China National Tennis Association did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
