After serving a four-year sentence for reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, Shanghai citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was released from prison only to be sentenced to another four years on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” by the Chinese authorities, sparking international concern. The spokesperson from the United States Department of State has called for Zhang Zhan’s immediate release.
On September 19, Zhang Zhan faced trial on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” at the Pudong Court in Shanghai.
On that morning, Zhang Zhan’s mother was escorted by the police from her home to the court nearby. However, Zhang Zhan’s lawyer friend, Peng Yonghe, had been taken away by the police on the 18th. Several rights activists in Shanghai were warned in advance not to visit the Pudong New Area on the 19th.
According to the “Voice of America” news on the 20th, the trial ended around 1 p.m., conducted behind closed doors. Several foreign diplomats and international journalists who attempted to attend the trial were denied access and even left unaware of whether the trial was taking place.
The report said that Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison that day. The court did not release the trial documents, and Zhang Zhan’s lawyer did not comment to the media.
In response to Zhang Zhan’s renewed sentencing, the Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders stated in a press release, “Zhang Zhan’s re-sentencing is the latest evidence of China’s deteriorating press freedom.”
The spokesperson from the United States Department of State also urged China to release Zhang Zhan immediately, stating that “a healthy society requires open access to information and freedom of speech.”
This is the second time Zhang Zhan has been sentenced on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” since 2020. The offense is considered a tool used by the Chinese authorities to suppress dissidents and independent journalists.
At 42 years old, Zhang Zhan, a former practicing lawyer, had her license revoked by the authorities for participating in rights activities. In February 2020, during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in mainland China, Zhang Zhan traveled to Wuhan as a citizen journalist to report on the situation firsthand, and three months later, she was arrested, charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and sentenced to four years in prison.
In 2021, Zhang Zhan was awarded the annual Press Freedom Prize by Reporters Without Borders.
After being released from prison in May last year, Zhang Zhan was detained again in August when she went to Gansu to support rights activist Zhang Pancheng.
An online indictment circulating stated that the Pudong Prosecutor’s Office in Shanghai, China, specifically accused Zhang Zhan of “widely spreading defamatory and seriously damaging false information on overseas social media platforms, causing severe public disorder and chaos.”