【Epoch Times News, September 19, 2025】At 9 a.m. on September 19, the Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan appeared in court at the Pudong New Area Court in Shanghai on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” The authorities, taking a defensive stance, had already arranged nationwide stability maintenance measures to prevent people from showing support in person.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Shanghai authorities had taken preemptive actions days before the court appearance, controlling Zhang Zhan’s family members, lawyers, and rights activists from various regions, limiting their contact with the outside world.
A rights activist from Wuhan revealed that local police warned him not to leave Wuhan upon learning of his intent to go to Shanghai. Another friend from a different province who traveled alone to Shanghai to support Zhang Zhan was tracked and obstructed by local police from a different jurisdiction.
Shanghai rights activist Shen Yanqiu received a warning phone call from the police on the 18th of September. On the morning of the 19th, she was taken to the police station for detention and was only released in the afternoon.
Lawyer Peng Yonghe, who had publicly stated his willingness to testify for Zhang Zhan in court, was taken control of by the police on the 18th. However, foreseeing the restriction of his freedom, he had pre-recorded a video showing his support for Zhang Zhan.
In the video, Peng Yonghe stated that Zhang Zhan is compassionate, fair-minded, and would not intentionally spread remarks damaging to the country’s image. She is a true patriot and hopes for our country to move towards constitutionalism, democracy, and the rule of law. She desires for every citizen to live a prosperous and dignified life.
He pointed out that the indictment did not explain her criminal motive, suggesting that if Zhang Zhan’s actions do not constitute “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” she could be innocent. “I am willing to testify for Zhang Zhan in court.”
Lawyer Ren Quanniu posted, “Zhang Zhan is innocent! All those involved in her persecution will not escape historical accountability!”
Chinese dissident Xie Wenfei stated, “Today, I declare with my conscience that Zhang Zhan is innocent. History will eventually make an innocent judgment on Zhang Zhan. The crown of justice belongs to Zhang Zhan, and those who politically persecute her using the name of the law, inside and outside the courtroom, must be severely condemned and will eventually be condemned by the world.”
Zhang Zhan, 42 years old, a former lawyer, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2020 for reporting on the truth of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. While in prison, she staged a prolonged hunger strike in protest, putting her life at risk, garnering international attention.
After her release in May 2024, she continued to be closely monitored. In August of the same year, she was arrested again and detained at the Pudong Detention Center in Shanghai for posting on overseas social media, accused of “seriously damaging the country’s image.” She continued her hunger strike and was forcibly fed through nasal tubes, potentially facing a maximum five-year sentence.
Meanwhile, the international community has been closely watching the case of Zhang Zhan. Diplomats from Europe and North America had requested to attend the trial as observers but were all denied entry.
International human rights organizations criticized the Chinese government for refusing diplomats and journalists to observe the trial, highlighting its stance in the face of questioning about the rule of law.
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) in the United States called for the immediate and unconditional release of Zhang Zhan, emphasizing that journalism and freedom of speech should not be criminalized.
Dissident from the Netherlands Xing Jian expressed to Epoch Times, “Under the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party, Zhang Zhan still dares to expose the evils of the CCP system, refusing to bow to evil, using her life to fight for justice and righteousness, which I admire.”