RELEASE ZHANG ZHAN: The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on China to end imprisonment of journalist Zhang Zhan

November 19, 2021 - Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has been imprisoned since May 2020 after her illuminating coverage of Wuhan's initial handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. As health worsens in prison, bringing her to the brink of death, the CFWIJ reiterates its demand for her release. Join our petition here to urge President Xi Jinping to drop all charges against her and ensure her immediate release from prison.

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.

After a mere three-hour trial on December 8, 2020, the Shanghai Pudong New Area Court sentenced Zhang to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”. 

Zhang’s family has stressed that the journalist 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.

In September 2021, the CFWIJ joined Reporters Without Borders (RSF), along with 43 other non-governmental human rights organizations, and urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to drop the bogus charges against Zhang and release her immediately.  Zhang already suffered from stomach ulcers and reflux esophagitis, according to her family. Her time in prison has taken a significant toll on her body. 

As Zhang's health worsens, the CFWIJ reiterates its call for her immediate 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. 

China ranked 177 out of the 180 countries listed in the World Press Freedom Index 2021. The country is the world’s largest captor of journalists, with at least 122 journalists imprisoned - many of them in life-threatening conditions. 

Like Zhang, at least 10 other press freedom defenders languishing in China’s prisons are at risk of death. These include investigative reporter and RSF World Press Freedom award-winner Huang Qi, Swedish publisher Gui Minhai and Uyghur journalist and Václav Havel Prize and Sakharov Prize recipient Ilham Tohti. 

In February 2021, Kunchok Jinpa, a leading source of information about Tibet for foreign media before his arrest in 2013, succumbed to the ill-treatment and torture he was subjected to during his time in prison.

Prior to that, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and RSF Press Freedom Prize winner Liu Xiaobo and dissident blogger Yang Tongyan both died of cancer in 2017 as their symptoms went untreated in prison. 

Join our call to urge the Chinese authorities to release Zhang immediately. She is in urgent need of proper medical attention and treatment. Sign our petition to secure her release and help save her life.

Signatories:

  1. Human Rights Watch

  2. ARTICLE 19 org

  3. PEN International

  4. IFEX

  5. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

  6. The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)

  7. The Overseas Press Club of America

  8. The International Women’s Media Foundation

  9. Sri Lanka Young Journalists’ Association

  10. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

  11. Free Press Unlimited 

  12. Kiran Nazish, Founding Director at CFWIJ, United States

  13. Fengsuo Zhou, President of Humanitarian China

  14. Yaxue Cao, China Change

  15. Zubayra Shamseden, Chinese Outreach Coordinator at Uyghur Human Rights Project

  16. Damla Tarhan, Operations Manager at CFWIJ, Turkey

  17. Die Morina van Uijtregt, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ, Kosovo

  18. Jaza Aqil, Senior Editorial Coordinator at CFWIJ, Pakistan 

  19. Ceren İskit, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ, Turkey

  20. Ayesha Khalid, Researcher at CFWIJ, Pakistan

  21. Louisa Greve, Human Rights Advocate, United States

  22. Mary Lynk, Journalist, Canada

  23. Rachel Wong, Independent Journalist

  24. Taranath Dahal, Journalism, Nepal

  25. Jane Wang, Free Zhang Zhan campaigner, UK

  26. Meghan Davidson Ladly, Journalist, Canada

  27. Aimun Faisal, Researcher at CFWIJ 

  28. Idro Seferi, DW correspondent, Serbia

  29. Alice Taylor, Journalist EURACTIV.com and Exit.al, Associate at CFWIJ

  30. Entenela Ndrevataj, journalist at Citizens Channel, Albania 

  31. Ross Holder, PEN International

  32. Paula Tran, Journalist, Canada

  33. Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Journalist, Albania

  34. Indunil Usgoda Arachchi, Journalist, Sri Lanka

  35. Srishti Jaswal, Independent Journalist, India

  36. Áine Kelly-Costello, journalist, Norway

  37. Tim Smith, photojournalist, Canada

  38. Zeynep Sentek, journalist, Turkey

  39. Terena Cardwell, Project Manager, United States of America

  40. Xhemajl Rexha, Chairman of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo

  41. Marcela Turati, journalist, Mexico

  42. Dilek İçten, Journalist, Turkey

  43. Martin O'Hanlon, President, CWA Canada, The Media Union

  44. Boyoung Lim, Pulitzer Center, South Korea

  45. Dicle Müftüoğlu, Dicle Firat Journalist Association (DFG), Diyarbakır-Turkey

  46. Serdar Altan, Dicle Firat Journalist Association (DFG), Diyarbakır-Turkey

  47. Olivia Pirie-Griffiths, Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, Australia

  48. Samad Uthman, Multimedia Investigative Journalist, Nigeria.

  49. Ariuntuya.A, journalist,  Mongolia

  50. Munkhchimeg Davaasharav, Journalist, Mongolia

  51. Maria Ordzhonikidze, Justice for Journalists Foundation

  52. Matthew Caruana Galizia, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation

  53. Cédric Alviani, Reporters Without Borders East Asia Bureau Head

  54. Aleksandra Bielakowska, Senior Researcher, Reporters Without Borders East Asia Bureau

  55. Fabienne Allaire, Teacher, France 

  56. Jenni Wyn Hyatt, UK

  57. Stuart Russell, Co-chair, Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL)

  58. Laura Maria Ele Prinetti, Journalist, Italy

  59. John Kohn III, Event Rigger and Technician, United States of America

  60. Kai Vogelsang, Scholar, Germany

  61. Alex Kaye, Director, United Kingdom

  62. Guo Kunpeng, Private business owner, China

  63. Gan Yu Lin, KLSACH Youth, Malaysia  

  64. Gail Debono, Psychologist, Malta

  65. Matilda Duri, Freelance journalist, Albania

  66. Walid Bashir, Egypt

  67. Batzorig Chimeddorj, Student, Mongolia 

  68. Joanna Chiu, Author, Journalist, Canada

  69. Beena Sarwar, Journalist, Pakistan/USA

  70. Amy Zhong, Student, USA

  71. Lori Amy, Professor, USA

  72. Louisa Bertman, Illustrator, USA