Hang Z, a former lawyer and citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who was arrested in May while reporting from Wuhan, has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Zhang was arrested for “picking up the fight and inciting trouble” – against dissidents, activists and journalists – along with his video and blog reports from the Wuhan lockdown – the allegation is commonly used. He was charged last month with spreading false information.
On Monday afternoon, just hours after the trial began, Zhang’s lawyer said he had been sentenced to four years in prison.
Amid the apparent crackdown on the Christmas period to avoid Western scrutiny, action was also taken against 10 Hong Kongers detained in mainland China on Monday after they tried to flee Taiwan.
The indictment, issued last week, said Zhang had “sent false information through text, video and other means through Internet media such as WeChat, Twitter and YouTube”.
“She also accepted interviews with foreign media Free Radio Asia and the Epoch Times and made malicious speculations about Wuhan’s Kovid-19 epidemic,” he said. A sentence of four to five years was recommended.
After the hearing, Zhang’s lawyer, Zhang Kek, said Zhang appeared in court in a wheelchair and his mother was moved to tears when the verdict was announced.
Zhang has been restrained for 24 hours-a-day, and was fed with a tube after going on a hunger strike, Zhang KK said earlier this month. Zhang Kek visited again on Christmas day, and said in a blog post that her client had lost 15 to 20 kg and her hair had become short.
“She looks mentally exhausted, like there’s a torment every day.”
Local media on Monday reported a heavy police presence outside the Shanghai Pudong Court building, Pushing journalists Observers from the entrance as soon as Zhang arrives. Foreign diplomats are reported to be among supporters at the scene.
Zhang denied the allegations and said all his reports on the outburst were based on first-hand accounts of locals. His video reports were always critical of secrecy and censorship.
“People who accidentally say something out of the ordinary on WeChat will be called and advised,” he said in a report. “Because everything is secret, this is the country that is facing it.”
In others, she accused the authorities of violating the fundamental rights of the people, and vowed to release other civilian journalists arrested for reporting from Wuhan.
Among the at least half a dozen civilian journalists targeted in Wuhan, Feng Bin was arrested in February but his whereabouts remain secret. Chen Mei and Kei Weiing are awaiting trial in Beijing after being arrested in April for collecting censored information. Chen Qushi, who was detained in Wuhan in February, was released at his parents’ home under close supervision.
Also on Monday, hearings began for 10 Hong Kongers who were detained after attempting to reach Taiwan by boat in August. The group is accused of organizing or participating in illegal border crossings. The other two members are minors and will be tried on their second date.
The families said they were only told of the hearing on Friday, had been delayed in traveling to Shenzhen and had been quarantined in time to attend. The hearing is not being broadcast, and the media appears unable to get inside the courtroom, turning it into a secret hearing of the body, they said. Detainees from their arrests were almost completely blocked from contact with families and were prevented from seeing selected lawyers.
In a statement on Monday, they said that by secretly holding a 12-day hearing, barring the media and families from attending, Chinese authorities were violating basic human rights, the “principle of sunshine judiciary” which they were promoting. ‘.
RTHK reported from Shenzhen that court officials said the hearing is open to the public but all seats have already been reserved. Former Hong Kong MLA Chu Hoi-dick, who has been helping the families, told RTHK that all 10 defendants are expected to be convicted.
Ahead of the trial, the U.S. State Department called for the group’s release, with one official saying his only “alleged crime” was “escaping from tyranny.”
China’s notoriously opaque justice system has a conviction rate of about 99%, and defendants are often seen refusing full legal assistance. Hong Kong 12 and Zhang’s last-minute trial came amid a flurry of activity by Chinese officials, who have a history of using the holiday period, while many Western governments and NGOs run trials and make arrests over the Christmas break.
In December alone, authorities arrested Bloomberg journalist Hayes Fan on unspecified national security charges; Human rights activist, uo biaofen, after he disclosed the case of a worker sent for psychiatric treatment; And documentary journalist Du Bin. Both Yu and Du were arrested for “choosing to fight and incite trouble.”
Authorities accused Australian author Yang Henjun of spying and allegedly tortured him during his two years in custody. On Sunday, the court refused to hear an appeal against the four-year sentence of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, who publicly called for constitutional amendments, including the election of multi-candidates.
“Detaining people who speak out only hinders the flow of information about China’s situation,” said Yakiyu Wang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Governments around the world should force Beijing to immediately release journalists and activists who have been wrongfully detained.”
