Family members of a Chinese medical researcher condemned to death on charges of spying for Taiwan says China’s approval of a second visit with him has given them hope he might not be executed.

Ran Chen, who has Austrian citizenship, said she visited her father Wo Weihan at a Beijing court on Thursday, their first meeting since he was detained almost four years ago.

China approved the second visit after another daughter, Di, arrived from Austria too late to attend the first visit, Chen said.

“Coming here and receiving the phone call from the Austrian government gives us hope again,” Chen said. The sisters will submit the paperwork on Friday to visit Wo.

Wo was sentenced to death by the Beijing court in May 2007 and his final appeal was denied on Feb. 29. The sentence was automatically forwarded to the supreme court for approval, but it’s unclear whether the court has upheld the punishment as the court has yet to issue a formal written ruling.

Human rights groups and diplomats from the EU, Austria and the United States have appealed on Wo’s behalf, contending that he did not receive a fair trial and was given an overly harsh sentence.

Prior to Thursday’s visit, the family had feared that Wo’s execution could occur at any time.

The court said Wednesday it did not have information on the case and the Supreme People’s Court did not respond to faxed questions on the case.

Wo was accused of passing data on missile guidance systems and other sensitive information to a group linked to Taiwanese intelligence agencies. Taiwan and mainland China have been divided amid civil war since 1949.