Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has been released from a Chinese prison after serving four years for charges related to her reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak. Zhang still has limited freedom despite being released, with concerns about how much freedom of movement she has. Other journalists also spent time in jail or went missing while documenting the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan. Zhang was sentenced to four years on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge commonly used in political cases, and served her full term. Her former lawyers could not reach her or her family on the day of her release.
Zhang was taken by police to her brother’s home on the day she finished her sentence, as shown in a video statement released eight days later. Overseas activist Jane Wang, who launched the Free Zhang Zhan campaign in the UK, is in contact with Zhang’s former lawyer and said Zhang still has limited freedom. The US Department of State also expressed concern about Zhang’s status after her release, with her former lawyer confirming that she is still under police watch.
During her detention at Shanghai’s Women Prison, Zhang staged a hunger strike and was hospitalized in 2021. Her family, who could only speak to her by phone, faced police pressure during her incarceration. Zhang was among a group of citizen journalists who traveled to Wuhan after the city was locked down in February 2020 to document public life during the pandemic. Others, such as Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi, also faced legal issues for their reporting and documenting efforts.
Fang Bin was sentenced to three years in prison for publishing videos showing overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the outbreak. He was released in April 2023. Chen Qiushi disappeared in February 2020 while filming in Wuhan and resurfaced in September 2021, stating that he suffered from depression but not providing details about his disappearance. The coronavirus remains a sensitive topic in China, with a Chinese scientist who was one of the first to sequence the virus protesting authorities for barring him from his lab after years of demotions and setbacks.
Zhang’s release comes after four years in prison, but concerns about her limited freedom persist. Other journalists who reported on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan also faced legal issues, including jail time and disappearances. The topic of COVID-19 remains sensitive in China, with authorities cracking down on those who report on it. Despite her release, Zhang may still be under police surveillance and her family faced pressure during her incarceration. Zhang was part of a group of citizen journalists who documented public life in Wuhan during the early days of the pandemic, alongside others who also faced legal consequences for their reporting.
