China: Over 70 Signatories Join CFWIJ’s Call To Release Chinese Journalist Zhang Zhan
November 24, 2021 — More than 70 journalists, rights advocates, press freedom groups and related organizations have joined the Coalition For Women In Journalism’s call to demand that the Chinese authorities immediately release journalist Zhang Zhan from prison.
We call on President Xi Jinping to drop all charges against Zhang Zhan. The citizen journalist, whose only “crime” was uncovering Beijing’s initial mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been in jail since May 2020 and is fatally ill. She must immediately be released from prison.
After her illuminating coverage of the initial Covid-19 response in Wuhan, Zhang was arrested in May 2020. Then, on December 8, 2020, the Shanghai Pudong New Area Court conducted a mere three-hour-long trial and sentenced Zhang to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”.
Zhang, a former lawyer, has been on a prolonged hunger strike to protest her detention and is being force-fed through a nasal tube. Family sources say Zhang's health has worsened to the extent that she is now in mortal danger.
The journalist’s family has stressed that Zhang has gone through drastic and extreme weight loss. She “may not survive the coming cold winter,” they said on Twitter. The journalist has also been mistreated in prison and her family was denied visiting rights. Earlier in August, she was hospitalized for 11 days as her health worsened.
As Zhang’s health in prison deteriorates, bringing her to the brink of death, the CFWIJ and the undersigned organisations and individuals reiterate their demand for her release. The arrest of the journalist was condemnable to begin with. But to continue to keep her in prison even as her life is at risk due to mistreatment by the state is abominable.
The CFWIJ insists once again that Zhang committed no offence. China must recognize that journalism is not a crime and cannot be treated as such. The Chinese government should stop putting their journalists behind bars for fulfilling their duty to inform the public. The country ranks 177 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, with more than 115 press freedom defenders in prison.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism, the Human Rights Watch, Article 19 and more than 70 undersigned organizations and individuals demand Zhang Zhan’s immediate release and transfer to a safe health institution with her consent.
Signatories:
Human Rights Watch
ARTICLE 19 org
PEN International
IFEX
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
The Overseas Press Club of America
The International Women’s Media Foundation
Sri Lanka Young Journalists’ Association
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Free Press Unlimited
Kiran Nazish, Founding Director at CFWIJ, United States
Fengsuo Zhou, President of Humanitarian China
Yaxue Cao, China Change
Zubayra Shamseden, Chinese Outreach Coordinator at Uyghur Human Rights Project
Damla Tarhan, Operations Manager at CFWIJ, Turkey
Die Morina van Uijtregt, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ, Kosovo
Jaza Aqil, Senior Editorial Coordinator at CFWIJ, Pakistan
Ceren İskit, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ, Turkey
Ayesha Khalid, Researcher at CFWIJ, Pakistan
Louisa Greve, Human Rights Advocate, United States
Mary Lynk, Journalist, Canada
Rachel Wong, Independent Journalist
Taranath Dahal, Journalism, Nepal
Jane Wang, Free Zhang Zhan campaigner, UK
Meghan Davidson Ladly, Journalist, Canada
Aimun Faisal, Researcher at CFWIJ
Idro Seferi, DW correspondent, Serbia
Alice Taylor, Journalist EURACTIV.com and Exit.al, Associate at CFWIJ
Entenela Ndrevataj, journalist at Citizens Channel, Albania
Ross Holder, PEN International
Paula Tran, Journalist, Canada
Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Journalist, Albania
Indunil Usgoda Arachchi, Journalist, Sri Lanka
Srishti Jaswal, Independent Journalist, India
Áine Kelly-Costello, journalist, Norway
Tim Smith, photojournalist, Canada
Zeynep Sentek, journalist, Turkey
Terena Cardwell, Project Manager, United States of America
Xhemajl Rexha, Chairman of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Marcela Turati, journalist, Mexico
Dilek İçten, Journalist, Turkey
Martin O'Hanlon, President, CWA Canada, The Media Union
Boyoung Lim, Pulitzer Center, South Korea
Dicle Müftüoğlu, Dicle Firat Journalist Association (DFG), Diyarbakır-Turkey
Serdar Altan, Dicle Firat Journalist Association (DFG), Diyarbakır-Turkey
Olivia Pirie-Griffiths, Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, Australia
Samad Uthman, Multimedia Investigative Journalist, Nigeria.
Ariuntuya.A, journalist, Mongolia
Munkhchimeg Davaasharav, Journalist, Mongolia
Maria Ordzhonikidze, Justice for Journalists Foundation
Matthew Caruana Galizia, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
Cédric Alviani, Reporters Without Borders East Asia Bureau Head
Aleksandra Bielakowska, Senior Researcher, Reporters Without Borders East Asia Bureau
Fabienne Allaire, Teacher, France
Jenni Wyn Hyatt, UK
Stuart Russell, Co-chair, Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL)
Laura Maria Ele Prinetti, Journalist, Italy
John Kohn III, Event Rigger and Technician, United States of America
Kai Vogelsang, Scholar, Germany
Alex Kaye, Director, United Kingdom
Guo Kunpeng, Private business owner, China
Gan Yu Lin, KLSACH Youth, Malaysia
Gail Debono, Psychologist, Malta
Matilda Duri, Freelance journalist, Albania
Walid Bashir, Egypt
Batzorig Chimeddorj, Student, Mongolia
Joanna Chiu, Author, Journalist, Canada
Beena Sarwar, Journalist, Pakistan/USA
Amy Zhong, Student, USA
Lori Amy, Professor, USA
Louisa Bertman, Illustrator, USA