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SARAH FERGUSON, PRESENTER: After more than three years in prison in China, Cheng Lei arrived home in Australia earlier this month.ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTRE: This is an outcome that the Australian Government has been seeking for a long period of time and her return will be warmly welcomed - not just by her family and friends but by all Australians.
SARAH FERGUSON: Her friends and family, including her partner Nick Coyle, campaigned for her release so she could be reunited with her family especially her two children. I just found that, at the same time cute, but incredibly sad. That the sort of thinking has permeated even my children. So I will try to be as positive and as strong as I can for them.
CHENG LEI: A little. I think the reflex was always someone was going to tell me that I am doing something wrong and that there would be consequences. SARAH FERGUSON: I just want to go to the moment where it became clear to you that there was something wrong, which is you are summoned to the office, a member of the state security apparatus I think you say shows you his badge...SARAH FERGUSON: Did you understand then exactly who you were dealing with and the risks, or not yet?SARAH FERGUSON: You were still confident that you would come out the other side?CHENG LEI: I never saw my apartment again.
SARAH FERGUSON: Just describe the immediate circumstances. What did it look like? What was around you, what it smelt like, what was it like?You were not allowed to have anything of your own. For example, my toiletries were brought into me, the food was brought into me by the guards, you were watched at all times.CHENG LEI: One standing in front of you, 40cm away, one sitting next to you, 40cm away,CHENG LEI: There were interrogations, yes.
Such frightening numbers, like what if it is 15 years, what if it is 20? And I wouldn't see my children until they were totally grown. I would lose them growing up forever. And what about my parents? SARAH FERGUSON: And so, in terms of that, come back to the embargo, what did they tell you you had done wrong.
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