Zhang Zhana 40-year-old journalist, will regain his freedom after being detained since May 2020. In December 2020, Zhang was sentenced in China by “pick fights and cause problems“.
Previously, the journalist had traveled to Wuhan in early 2020 to document the early phases of the Covid-19 outbreak. Then, he published first-hand testimonies: from crowded hospitals to empty streets that contrasted with the official version of the chinese government.
Why was Zhang Zhan detained?
The Chinese authorities are expected to release the journalist this Monday. Zhang, who was living in Shanghai at the time, was imprisoned for four years for documenting the early phases of the coronavirus outbreak from the Wuhan cityin the center of the country, in 2020.
After several months of reporting that included videos, Zhang was arrested in May 2020. During her first period in prison, the journalist declared herself hunger strike at the end of Junewhich led the police to tie her hands and force-feed her with a tube, according to her lawyers at the time.
After several months in jail, in December 2020 a Shanghai court ruled on Zhang’s case. The authorities sentenced her to four years in prison for “pick fights and cause problems“.
When will Zhang Zhan be released?
A document of accusation for the case of Zhang, published by human rights activists, indicated that the reporter will be released this Monday. However, Zhang Kekeone of her lawyers, told Reuters he could not yet confirm whether she had been released: “Zhang Zhan’s relatives and family have not responded to me yet“, he stated.
For his part, the china government He did not provide further details on the matter. When asked by Zhang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated that he has “norelevant information” on the matter.
The decision to release Zhang Zhan is also prompted by worsening of your health during his stay in jail. In mid-2023, the journalist had to be admitted to a prison hospital.
Source: Ambito
