Zhang Zhan

Zhang Zhan (simplified Chinese: 张展; traditional Chinese: 張展; pinyin: Zhāng Zhǎn; born 2 September 1983)[1] is a Chinese citizen journalist and former lawyer who was tortured by Chinese secret police and sentenced to four years in prison on the charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" for her reporting on the Chinese government's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the first citizen journalist to be sentenced for reporting on the pandemic in China, although at least 47 other journalists are currently in detention in China for their coronavirus reporting.[2]

Zhang Zhan
Born (1983-09-02) 2 September 1983
Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
OccupationCitizen journalist
EducationSouthwestern University of Finance and Economics
SubjectsCOVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China

Journalism

Zhan is a citizen journalist who travelled from Shanghai to Wuhan in early February to cover the COVID-19 pandemic there.[3][2] She documented overflowing hospitals, empty shops, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, crematoria, the detention of independent journalists and harassment of families of victims of the pandemic seeking accountability in livestreams and essays.[3][4] According to Zhang, crematoria in Wuhan were running day and night, during a time when state media claimed that the pandemic was under control.[5]

Citizen journalists have been a source of unfiltered information about the pandemic in China, however, there are very few due to lack of accreditation for them.[6]

Arrest

The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a Chinese human rights group recorded that Zhang went missing on 14 May 2020; later it was revealed she was detained by police and transported back to Shanghai.[7] She was imprisoned without charge until November. Zhan is one of several citizen journalists including Li Zehua, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin who went missing at the same time.[3][8][9]

Torture

Zhang was tortured for three months before sentencing, kept in handcuffs 24 hours a day for the entire time.[6] Zhan has been on hunger strike since June 2020 and is being force-fed through a feeding tube, her hands are tied to prevent her from removing it.[10][11][12][13]

Impact of torture

She has been described by her lawyer Ren Quanniu as very weak, "In addition to headache, dizziness and stomach pain, there was also pain in her mouth and throat. She said this may be inflammation due to the insertion of a gastric tube."[3][10] Her lawyer has stated she may not survive.[11]

Trial and sentencing

She was charged with picking quarrels and provoking trouble, a charge the Chinese government often uses to imprison opponents and sentenced to four years in prison.[14] The crime is defined as undermining public order by creating a disturbance in a public place.[15] The indictment sheet accused Zhang of talking to foreign media such as Radio Free Asia and The Epoch Times, and spreading false information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.[14]

Zhang was accused of fabricating two items in her reporting from Wuhan; that residents were forced to pay a fee to get COVID-19 tests and that residents confined to their homes had been sent rotten vegetables by neighbourhood committees. Zhang maintains these are true.[16]

Supporters, foreign journalists and a British diplomat were blocked from entering the courtroom during the trial which lasted less than three hours in total.[3][17][18][19] She has been sentenced by a Shanghai court to four years imprisonment making her the first citizen journalist to be sentenced for reporting the pandemic in China.[2][20][21] She is represented by several lawyers including Ren Quanniu and Zhang Keke.[3]

Reactions

United States

The United States of America Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement that “The United States strongly condemns the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) sham prosecution and conviction of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan on December 28”.[22][23]

European Union

The European Union has called for her to be released immediately.[24] They also called for the release of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, and several others detained and convicted human rights defenders and reporters in China. An EU foreign policy spokesman, Peter Stano stated “according to credible sources, Ms Zhang has been subject to torture and ill-treatment during her detention and her health condition has seriously deteriorated”.[25][26]

United Kingdom

The Embassy of the United Kingdom, Beijing said her case "raises serious concerns about media freedom in China" and that she was one of at least 47 journalists currently in detention in China for their coronavirus reporting; the statement called on China for their release.[27]

Personal life

Zhang was born in Xianyang, Shaanxi, and graduated in finance at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. She is a practicing Christian.[1][28][29][30]

References
  1. 网易 (2020-12-28). "张展案开庭并当庭宣判". www.163.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  2. Nectar Gan and James Griffiths. "Chinese journalist who documented Wuhan coronavirus outbreak jailed for 4 years". CNN. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  3. "Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports". BBC News. 2020-12-28. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  4. Reuters Staff (2020-12-28). "China jails citizen-journalist for four years over Wuhan virus reporting". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  5. Chang, Chris. "Chinese journalist prosecuted for reporting on Wuhan outbreak | Taiwan News | 2020/06/24". Taiwan News. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  6. "Covid-19 journalist tortured for exposing truth". www.amnesty.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  7. "China sentences lawyer who reported on outbreak to 4 years". AP NEWS. 2020-12-28. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  8. Wang, Vivian (2020-12-26). "She Chronicled China's Crisis. Now She Is Accused of Spreading Lies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  9. Board, Editorial. "Opinion | What is China trying to hide about the coronavirus?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  10. "Citizen journalist detained over Wuhan reporting 'restrained and fed by tube'". The Guardian. 2020-12-10. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  11. "Chinese citizen journalist detained for reporting on Wuhan coronavirus outbreak "may not survive"". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29. Zhang is restrained 24 hours a day with a belt around her waist and both hands tied to prevent her from pulling out a feeding tube
  12. "OHCHR | Convention against Torture". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  13. CHEN, Laurie. "Chinese citizen journalist jailed for four years for Wuhan virus reporting". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  14. Davidson, Helen (2020-11-16). "Citizen journalist facing jail in China for Wuhan Covid reporting". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  15. "Report submitted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention — Addendum: Visit to the People's Republic of China, 1997" (PDF). United Nations. 22 December 1997. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  16. "Chinese Lawyer-Turned-Citizen Journalist Gets Four Years For Wuhan Posts". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  17. Qi, Grace. "Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan sentenced for reporting early on COVID in Wuhan". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29.
  18. "Chinese court jails citizen journalist Zhang Zhan for Wuhan reports". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  19. "Virus Outbreak: Chinese citizen-journalist jailed for virus reporting - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  20. Wang, Vivian (2020-12-28). "Chinese Citizen Journalist Sentenced to 4 Years for Covid Reporting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  21. Guo, Rui (2020-12-28). "China jails citizen journalist for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reports". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  22. Fromer, Jacob (2020-12-29). "US and EU demand China release Zhang Zhan, who covered Wuhan outbreak". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  23. "On the Silencing and Prosecution of PRC Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  24. "EU demands China release citizen-journalist Zhang Zhan who reported on Covid-19". France 24. 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  25. Reuters Staff (2020-12-29). "EU criticises China for jailing citizen-journalist who reported on COVID". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  26. "U.S. And EU Condemn Jailing Of Lawyer Who Reported On Coronavirus In Wuhan". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  27. Oxner, Reese (2020-12-29). "U.S. And EU Condemn Jailing Of Lawyer Who Reported On Coronavirus In Wuhan". NPR. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  28. Cachila, Julio (2020-12-28). "Zhang Zhan: Christian Citizen Journalist Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Wuhan Virus Reports". Christianity Daily. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  29. "China: Fears for health of Christian activist on hunger strike in detention". www.csw.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  30. "Wuhan Citizen Journalist Formally Arrested, Held in Shanghai Detention Center". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on 2020-12-29. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
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