Journalist who reported on Covid from Wuhan must return to prison

Chinese journalist Zhang Chan, who documented the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, has been sentenced to another four years in prison. This was decided by a Chinese court on Friday, according to the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This is the second time the 42-year-old journalist has been imprisoned for the same offense – “causing disputes and provoking trouble.”

Zhang was originally convicted in December 2020 for sharing videos and reports from crowded hospitals and deserted streets, thereby undermining the regime's official line on the course of the pandemic. After her arrest, she went on hunger strike and was force-fed. She was released in May 2024, but was re-arrested three months later.

RSF claims that the new charges are related to her criticism of human rights violations in China. Her lawyers describe her as a “heroine of information” and are demanding her immediate release. According to RSF, China is the country with the most journalists in prison worldwide – at least 124 of them are currently behind bars.

(reuters, sab)