China: Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan faces up to five years in prison for reporting Covid-19 outbreak in China

November 17, 2020 – Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist based in Shanghai, was first detained in May for reporting on the Covid-19 outbreak from Wuhan.  After being arrested in June, the journalist faces up to five years in jail for allegedly spreading false information. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned for Zhang Zhan’s safety and demands she be released immediately. No journalist should be subjected to such mistreatment, especially when informing the public about a deadly epidemic spreading across the country. 

After a live broadcast covering the outbreak in Wuhan — the epicentre of Covid-19’s first reported cases in early January— journalist Zhang Zhan was arrested on June 23. It has been nearly five months since Zhang, a 37-year-old former lawyer, was arrested for reporting on the outbreak. Her video was live-streamed from Wuhan on Twitter and YouTube, which are blocked in China, as well as other social media platforms. She is being held at a detention facility in Shanghai. 

Zhang was arraigned on charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. This accusation has been used against several journalists and activists in China that have reported on the Covid-19 outbreak via social media accounts. According to the prosecution document released yesterday, Zhang was cited for spreading “false information through text, video and other media through the Internet media such as WeChat, Twitter and YouTube”, potentially facing a sentence of four to five years in prison. She also faces charges of maliciously speculating on Wuhan’s Coronavirus epidemic during interviews with overseas media such as Free Radio Asia and Epoch Times.

Zhang has been on a hunger strike since September, after being forced to admit to being guilty. Since starting the protest against her imprisonment, Zhang has lost a significant amount of weight and was even force-fed. Force-feeding is an inhumane practice that can lead to mental and physical consequences, causing death in the most severe cases. 

China is notorious for suppressing press freedom and persecuting journalists for doing their job. The situation has further deteriorated in the aftermath of Covid-19, following crackdowns on local journalists and those working in the country for foreign publications and media outlets. The Coalition For Women In Journalism has documented at least six women journalists behind bars in various prisons across China.

Considering the gruesome past of press freedom in China, we are worried about Zhang's safety. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the journalist’s immediate release. It is crucial for the public to receive truthful information about the state of health and safety in their country. The unjustified oppression of the press and its members is unacceptable.