Citizen journalist jailed by China for exposing Covid chaos ‘may not live much longer’ in prison
Zhang Zhan is serving a four-year jail term for reporting on the handling of Covid-19 in Wuhan
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Chinese citizen journalist serving a four-year jail term for her coverage of China’s initial response to handling Covid-19 in Wuhan, is close to death on account of her long-running hunger strike, her family has said.
Zhang Zhan, 38, a former lawyer, was detained in May 2020 and sentenced in December for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge mostly used in political cases.
She had travelled to Wuhan — in the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak — in February to report on the handling of the Covid-19 crisis by Chinese authorities.
In a post on Twitter, her brother Zhang Ju said that she is “177cm tall and currently weighs less than 40kg. She is so stubborn. I think she may not live long in the coming cold winter.”
He added, “I hope the world can remember her as she was.”
Ms Zhang, who has been on a hunger strike to protest against her incarceration, was hospitalised in July when her weight slipped below 40kg (90lbs).
While she had been force-fed through nasal tubes when her health declined earlier, her legal team does not have any information about her current condition, reported AFP.
AFP did not receive any response from the Shanghai prison. Her mother declined to comment to AFP while her brother Zhang Ju could not be reached.
However, Zhang Ju’s plea for his sister on Twitter led to fresh calls for her release from human rights groups and activists.
In a statement, Amnesty International said that Ms Zhang should not have been jailed in the first place and now appears to be at risk of dying in prison.
“The Chinese authorities must release her immediately so that she can end her hunger strike and receive the appropriate medical treatment she desperately needs,” said Gwen Lee, China Campaigner at Amnesty International.
Ms Lee added that Ms Zhang was prosecuted “simply because she tried to uncover what was happening in Wuhan amid huge government secrecy about the pandemic, is a shameful attack on human rights.”
In a statement on Thursday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also called on the international community to put pressure on the Chinese government to secure her “immediate release before it is too late.”
In September, a joint letter by RSF and a coalition of 44 human rights NGOs urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to release Zhang Zhan.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments