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An independent Chinese journalist who reported on the initial outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, central China, was sentenced Monday to four years in prison by a Shanghai court, according to a Hong Kong newspaper.
Zhang Zhan traveled to Wuhan last February to report on the covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent disease prevention and treatment campaign for patients, but disappeared in May and was later revealed to have been detained by police in Shanghai. in eastern China.
Zhang Zhan was convicted of “causing riot” and “seeking trouble,” a frequent charge against journalists and human rights activists in China, according to the Apple Daily, which cited one of the lawyers.
The journalist refused to admit the accusations, considering that the information published by her on Chinese platforms such as WeChat or on the social networks Twitter and YouTube should not have been censored.
According to Amnesty International (AI), his work in Wuhan focused on denouncing the arrests of other independent reporters and harassing relatives of victims of the new coronavirus.
The organization Human Rights Defenders in China revealed last September that the journalist had been arrested for reporting that Wuhan citizens received spoiled food during the city’s 11-week confinement, or that they were forced to pay for tests. coronavirus detection.
Zhang Zhan, who was arrested in late May, went on a hunger strike in September, which left her in a “very weak” physical condition, according to her defense, who said authorities force-fed her, using a tube.
Another lawyer revealed the 37-year-old reporter’s intention to continue her hunger strike “even if she dies in jail.”
Several other independent journalists who traveled to Wuhan at the beginning of the outbreak were detained or disappeared in China, while authorities restricted coverage and the official press praised Beijing’s response as effective and timely.
In February, Chen Qiushi, who streamed live video of Wuhan during the city lockdown and broadcast reports on social media, also disappeared. Two other independent journalists, Li Zehua and Fang Bin, were also arrested after covering the outbreak in Wuhan.
However, Zhang Zhan was the first journalist to be formally punished with a prison sentence.
Last March, China expelled journalists from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal in an unprecedented attack on foreign media.
Although sporadic outbreaks continue to appear, China has largely controlled the virus, allowing the country to return to relative normality.
However, restrictions on the press have not been lifted and the Chinese state press has aggressively promoted theories that the pandemic originated outside the country, despite a lack of scientific evidence.
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