China Jails Citizen Journalist for 4 Years Over COVID-19 Reporting
Former lawyer convicted of picking quarrels and provoking trouble
Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison on Dec. 28, becoming the first known reporter to be sentenced by Beijing for providing firsthand information about the CCP viruspandemic inside China.
Zhang, a 37-year-old former lawyer, was convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” by the Pudong New Area People’s Court in Shanghai, according to her defense lawyers, Zhang Keke and Ren Quanniu.
Zhang appeared in court in a wheelchair and her mother cried loudly after hearing her sentence.
Wuhan Virus Reporting: Citizen journo jailed in China
Police vehicles are seen outside Shanghai Pudong New Area People s Court before the trial of citizen-journalist Zhang Zhan, who reported from Wuhan during the peak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China December 28, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Brenda Goh Afp, Shanghai Afp, Shanghai
A Chinese citizen journalist was jailed for four years yesterday for her reporting from Wuhan as the Covid-19 outbreak unfurled, her lawyer said, almost a year after details of an unknown viral pneumonia surfaced in the central China city.
Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was sentenced at a brief hearing in a Shanghai court for allegedly picking quarrels and provoking trouble during her reporting in the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak.
China sentences citizen journalist for 4 years in prison for her reports on COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was sentenced at a brief hearing in a Shanghai court for allegedly picking quarrels and provoking trouble for her reporting in the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak Agence France-Presse December 28, 2020 15:19:03 IST A pro-democracy activist holds placards with the picture of Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan outside the Chinese central government s liaison office, in Hong Kong. AP
Shanghai: A Chinese citizen journalist was jailed for four years for her live stream reporting from Wuhan as the COVID-19 outbreak unfurled, her lawyer said Monday, almost a year after details of an unknown viral pneumonia surfaced in the central China city.
“[She] looked devastated,” Ren Quanniu, one of Zhang Zhan’s lawyers, said of his client’s reaction to the sentencing Monday, BBC reported.
“Maybe I have a rebellious soul,” Zhan, who was warned of her February reports from Wuhan, said in an interview obtained by BBC. “I’m just documenting the truth. Why can’t I show the truth?”
Her lawyers say that she is restrained throughout the day and force-fed through a feeding tube.
Leo Lan, a research and advocacy consultant for the rights group Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, told BBC that Chinese officials are sending a clear message Zhan’s arrest and sentencing.
Condenaron a 4 años de cárcel a periodista que informó sobre Wuhan elnacional.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from elnacional.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.