China: Women Press Freedom Welcomes Zhang Zhan's Release, Remains Concerned for Journalist’s Safety
Women Press Freedom is relieved to have received confirmation of her whereabouts after initial uncertainty following her scheduled release on May 13
Location: China, Beijing
Date: May 23, 2024
Women Press Freedom acknowledges the release of journalist Zhang Zhan from Shanghai prison after her four-year sentence for reporting on the Wuhan lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are relieved to have received confirmation of her whereabouts after initial uncertainty following her scheduled release on May 13, 2024. However, we remain deeply concerned for her ongoing safety and well-being. Chinese authorities must cease their harassment of Zhang Zhan and ensure she can live without fear of retribution, enjoying her rights to freedom and dignity. It is devastating to reflect on the fact that four years of her life were unjustly taken from her for bravely sharing the truth and fulfilling her role as a citizen journalist.
Journalist Zhang Zhan has been released from a Shanghai prison after serving a four-year sentence for reporting on the Wuhan lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Her whereabouts had been unknown since her scheduled release on May 13, 2024, prompting immediate concern from her supporters.
In a video analyzed by Women Press Freedom, Zhang is seen in pajamas, informing viewers about her release and whereabouts, and thanking those who supported her.
“We cannot confirm where Zhang Zhan was when this video was recorded or who recorded it for her,” says activist Jane Wang, who has been advocating for the journalist’s release. Wang shared the police had taken Zhang to her elder brother’s house in Shanghai on the evening of May 13.
Zhang was detained by Chinese authorities in May 2020 and arrested the following month for her live-streamed coverage of the pandemic’s aftermath in Wuhan — the Chinese city where the first case of the novel coronavirus was detected — where she travelled to from her home in Shanghai at the start of COVID-19.
The former lawyer turned citizen journalist was sentenced to four years in prison by the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court on December 28, 2020. She was charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a common charge used by Chinese authorities to silence dissent. Her live-streamed videos on banned platforms like Twitter and YouTube documented the early days of the pandemic and criticized the government's censorship, garnering numerous views.
Zhan twice staged a hunger strike in 2020 and 2021. She was hospitalized in 2021.
China is known for its harsh suppression of press freedom, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the imprisonment of numerous media workers and citizen journalists. The country remains one of the world's largest jailers of journalists, with at least four women journalists currently behind bars, as documented by Women Press Freedom.
Women Press Freedom will continue to monitor Zhang Zhan's situation and advocate for her protection. We stand in solidarity with Zhan and all journalists who face persecution for their commitment to truth and accountability. The international community must continue to pressure China to respect press freedom and release all journalists unjustly imprisoned.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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