Zhang Zhan ‘should be celebrated globally … not trapped in brutal prison conditions,’ according to Reporters Without Borders.
Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has been sentenced to another four years in prison for her early reporting of the COVID-19 pandemic as it initially broke out in China, according to French international press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Zhang was initially imprisoned in December 2020 and put on trial again on Sept. 19 to face the same charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a controversial statute the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses to target political dissidents.
“She should be celebrated globally as an ‘information hero,’ not trapped in brutal prison conditions,” RSF Asia-Pacific advocacy manager Aleksandra Bielakowska said in a Sept. 20 statement.
“Her ordeal and persecution must end. It is more urgent than ever for the international diplomatic community to pressure Beijing for her immediate release.”
It was a closed trial, with police surrounding the courthouse to prevent entry.
Although the case has gained significant international attention, Chinese authorities also barred foreign diplomats from observing the proceedings.
The International Service for Human Rights stated on Sept. 19 that diplomats and journalists had been turned away from the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court without confirmation that the trial was proceeding.
Chinese authorities also moved to silence Zhang’s supporters. Some reported that local police intercepted them before they could travel to Shanghai. A Wuhan-based rights activist said he was threatened with punishment if he attempted to leave the city. Others who managed to arrive in Shanghai were tracked down and detained by police.
Shanghai-based activist Shen Yanqiu was detained on the morning of the trial and released only in the afternoon.
Chinese lawyer Peng Yonghe, who had volunteered to testify in Zhang’s defense, was placed under police control the day before. Anticipating restrictions, Peng recorded a video message beforehand, calling Zhang “a true patriot” committed to constitutionalism, democracy, and the rule of law.
“The indictment does not specify her criminal motive,” Peng said. “If Zhang Zhan’s actions do not constitute what is called ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble,’ then she may be innocent. I am willing to testify in court on her behalf.”
