May 13th is the day when citizen journalist Zhang Zhan regained her freedom, but as of the reporter’s deadline, Zhang’s whereabouts remain unknown. According to sources, it is speculated that she has likely been taken away by the police for surveillance, to avoid contact with the outside world.
A source familiar with Zhang’s case, using the pseudonym Li Ming, disclosed to Epoch Times that he has been unable to contact Zhang’s parents. Based on his understanding of the case and the consistent practices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police, he said, “If the release order was issued today, she should have been released today, but there’s no news. I speculate that her father or mother and Zhang have been taken by the police to a place for surveillance. It seems to be a resort-like place where they are being watched. Their phones have been confiscated, accompanied by two or three police officers, they can go outside for a walk, but cannot contact the outside world.”
Shanghai activist Shen Yanqiu also told Epoch Times on the 12th that the police guarding Zhang had previously revealed that high-level officials within the CCP were very nervous about Zhang’s case, and Zhang’s family had been under pressure from the authorities. A few days ago, Shen Yanqiu suggested to Zhang’s mother that she accompany her to the prison to bring Zhang back home. Zhang’s mother replied, “I may not be able to go.”
Zhang Zhan, a native of Xianyang, Shanxi Province, is 40 years old. She used to work as a lawyer in Shanghai but had her license revoked due to her participation in human rights activities and signing activities to amend the regulations for lawyers. In February 2020, she went to Wuhan alone, filming videos and interviewing relatives of victims in hospitals, funeral homes, and other places, allowing information about the tightly controlled epidemic in China to spread through the internet.
Zhang Zhan’s defense lawyer, Ren Quannian, told Epoch Times on May 13th that the information Zhang disclosed about the epidemic did not violate the law, but this content may not be able to be published domestically or may be censored. At the time, the authorities accused her of sending this content to so-called hostile overseas media outlets such as Radio Free Asia, Epoch Times, and YouTube, which was the real reason she was sentenced.
While in prison, Zhang Zhan has also been persecuted by the CCP authorities, having gone on hunger strikes multiple times. When she was sent to the hospital under the Shanghai Prison Administration Bureau last July, her weight had dropped to half of what it was before her arrest.
Due to this case, Zhang Zhan’s family is feeling overwhelmed. Shen Yanqiu informed Epoch Times on the 12th, “Zhang Zhan’s mother had a serious illness before the Lunar New Year, had surgery, and has been unwell, resting in her hometown in Shanxi, only returning to Shanghai after the New Year.”
After speaking with Zhang Zhan’s mother, Shen Yanqiu was summoned by the police for “tea sessions” three times, including on the afternoon of the 12th when the police explicitly stated that she couldn’t go to the women’s prison or to Pudong.
Ms. Wang Jing, who has been advocating online for Zhang Zhan, told Epoch Times, “There is still no news about Zhang Zhan, and it cannot be confirmed whether she has returned home.”
Currently, many netizens are posting in support of Zhang Zhan online, hoping to put pressure on the CCP authorities to ensure Zhang Zhan’s safe return home.