Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan, was expected to be released on Monday, but her whereabouts are currently unknown. Zhang had been sentenced to four years on vague charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” commonly used in political cases. Concerns have been raised by activists regarding her well-being post-release, with fears that she may be placed under another form of control by the police. Ren Quanniu, a former lawyer who represented Zhang, said he could not reach her father, adding to the uncertainty surrounding her release.
Zhang Zhan was among a small group of citizen journalists who traveled to Wuhan after the city was placed under lockdown in February 2020, in the early days of the pandemic. She documented the situation in the city as fears about the coronavirus grew. Other citizen journalists who also reported on the pandemic, such as Fang Bin, have faced similar consequences. Fang was sentenced to three years in prison for publishing videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies, and he was released last April. Chen Qiushi, another citizen journalist who disappeared in February 2020 while filming in Wuhan, reappeared in September 2021, revealing that he had suffered from depression but providing no further details on his disappearance.
During her time in prison, Zhang Zhan staged a hunger strike and was hospitalized in 2021. Her family has faced pressure from the police, with her parents declining interview requests from the media. They were only able to speak to their daughter by phone while she was in prison. Shen Yanqiu, who planned to accompany Zhang’s family to receive her at the prison upon release, declined to speak to the media, citing police interrogation. Calls to Zhang’s brother and the Shanghai Prison Administration office went unanswered, highlighting the lack of information surrounding her situation. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, refused to comment on the case, stating that he was not aware of the situation.
The coronavirus pandemic remains a sensitive topic in China, with authorities closely monitoring any related discussions or reporting. In May, a Chinese scientist who was the first to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus protested after being barred from his lab following demotions and setbacks. An Associated Press investigation revealed that the Chinese government had halted domestic and international efforts to trace the virus from the beginning of the outbreak. The uncertainty surrounding Zhang Zhan’s release and her current whereabouts reflects the tight control the Chinese government maintains over information related to the pandemic and its handling of journalists who attempted to report on the early stages of the crisis. Zhang’s case draws attention to the ongoing challenges faced by journalists and activists in China who seek to shed light on important issues despite government restrictions and surveillance.
