TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese journalist imprisoned for four years during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan was expected to be released on Monday (May 13), although her whereabouts are unknown.
Zhang Zhan (張展), age 40, was one of the only reporters in Wuhan to document the early days of the pandemic in February 2020, per CNA. She conducted interviews and investigations while the city went under lockdown, uploading videos onto Twitter, YouTube, and WeChat as fears emerged about COVID-19.
In one YouTube video on Feb. 20, 2020, Zhang said, “I can’t find anything to say except that the city is paralyzed because everything is under cover. That’s what this country is facing now … They imprison us in the name of pandemic prevention and restrict our freedom. We must not talk to strangers, it’s dangerous.”
In May 2020, Zhang was sentenced to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vague charge often used by the Chinese government. May 13 was supposed to be the last day of Zhang’s sentence at Shanghai’s Women Prison.
However, there was no confirmation from authorities that Zhang has been released, and concerns from activists are growing about her well-being and whereabouts. Zhang’s former lawyer said that, like other Chinese activities, Zhang may be placed under house arrest or subject to other surveillance and restrictions.
Zhang was among at least 10 citizen journalists who were sentenced for their reporting during the beginning of the pandemic, when much of the world was critical of the Chinese government for not being more transparent. Fang Bin (方斌), another Chinese whistleblower who shared videos of a Wuhan hospital overcrowded with patients in 2020, was imprisoned for three years and released in April 2023.
Zhang was awarded a press freedom award from Reporters Without Borders in 2021. Before 2020, Zhang had no experience reporting and was motivated by her outrage at the Chinese government, according to friends.
