“Censorship is never OK at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and well. I am in shock with the current situation and I am sending her love and light. “, Osaka said as part of a statement on Twitter on Tuesday.
She included the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Peng, one of China’s most famous tennis stars, has accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex at his home three years ago, according to a screenshot of a post. on social networks was deleted on 11/2.
Peng’s post on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, was deleted within 30 minutes of publication, with Chinese censors quickly working to remove any mention of the allegation online.
Peng has not been seen in public since the allegations and her whereabouts were not made public. Her Weibo account, which has more than half a million followers, remains blocked from searchers on the platform.
More and more international athletes are expressing concern for Peng. Tennis legend and 39-time Grand Slam champion Billie Jean King said on Twitter, “Hopefully Peng Shuai is found safe and her accusations are fully investigated.”
And former world No. 1 Chris Evert said, “these accusations are very disturbing.”
“I’ve known Peng since she was 14; we should all be worried; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe? Any information would be appreciated,” she said. in a post on Twitter.
“Peng Shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, uncensored,” Simon said. “Her accusations of a former Chinese leader’s conduct in relation to a sexual assault case must be taken very seriously.”
The ATP Tour, a top men’s tennis tournament in the world, said in a statement Monday that it was “encouraged by the recent assurances received by the WTA that (Peng) is safe and taking into account and will continue to monitor the situation closely.” No further details were provided about the authenticity of the guarantees – or who provided them.
“Separately, we fully support the WTA’s call for a full, fair and transparent investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Peng Shuai,” ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement. declare.
Zhang, 75, served on the seven-man Politiburo Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party – the country’s supreme governing body – from 2012 to 2017 during the leader’s first term in power China Xi Jinping. He retired as deputy prime minister in 2018.
In the post as an open letter to Zhang, the 35-year-old tennis star alleges an intermittent relationship lasting at least 10 years.
“Why do you have to come back to me, take me to your house to force me to have sex with you?” she writes.
Peng said she had no evidence to substantiate her allegations, adding that Zhang was always worried that she would record everything.
Peng wrote: “I can’t describe how disgusting I was, and how many times have I asked myself if I’m still human? I feel like a knowing corpse. Go”.
CNN was unable to independently verify Peng’s post, and has reached out to both her and China’s State Council, which handles press inquiries to the central government, for comment.
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