Chinese Journalist Zhang Zhan Jailed Over Early COVID-19 Reporting, Faces New Four-Year Sentence in China

Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, previously imprisoned for her coverage of the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak, has been sentenced to another four-year prison term, according to a human rights group and activists.

Zhang, 42, was detained in August 2024 on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a common accusation used by Chinese authorities to silence dissent.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stated she was targeted for her reporting on human rights violations by the Chinese government.

Her sentencing reportedly took place on Friday in Shanghai, with RSF and UK-based activist Jane Wang citing reliable sources confirming the four-year sentence in social media posts.

Zhang first came to prominence in 2020 when she traveled to Wuhan during the initial Covid-19 outbreak.

There, she documented the chaotic situation and criticized the government’s handling of the crisis through smartphone videos shared online.

She was arrested in May 2020 and sentenced to four years in prison later that year.

Her latest trial, which reportedly occurred on Friday, was not publicly confirmed by Chinese officials. Outside the courthouse, authorities declined to acknowledge the proceedings.

A group of seven diplomats from European and North American countries who sought to observe the trial were turned away, with officials claiming their paperwork was not in order, according to AFP.

When asked about Zhang’s case at a routine press briefing on Friday, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said they were unaware of the situation.

The ministry did not respond to AFP’s follow-up request for confirmation of the sentencing.

Documents shared by activist Jane Wang suggest Zhang was accused of spreading “false information that seriously damaged the national image” on foreign social media platforms.

Earlier this year, rights groups reported that Zhang had gone on a hunger strike while in detention and was being force-fed via a gastric tube.

“Zhang Zhan sacrificed everything to expose abuses and human rights violations by the Chinese regime,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF’s Asia-Pacific advocacy manager, in response to the sentencing.