China Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan, who was supposed to be released from prison on Monday, May 13th, remains uncontactable, causing concern among many about her current situation. In response, the U.S. State Department has issued a statement expressing its concern over the case.
According to the statement issued by the U.S. State Department on Thursday, May 16th, the United States is deeply concerned about reports of the disappearance of Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan who was scheduled to be released upon completing a 4-year prison term for reporting on the Wuhan pandemic.
The statement stressed that the United States has repeatedly expressed serious concerns about her arbitrary detention and mistreatment by the authorities. It called on China to respect Zhang Zhan’s human rights, cease all restrictive measures faced by her and all Chinese journalists, including surveillance, censorship, harassment, and intimidation. The statement emphasized that journalists in China should be able to report safely and freely.
Zhang Zhan, a 40-year-old citizen journalist who originally trained as a lawyer, was detained after reporting on the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan in May 2020. Her videos and social media posts drew attention to the Chinese government’s suppression of information on the spread of the virus and its enforcement of strict lockdown measures.
In December 2020, Zhang Zhan was sentenced to 4 years in prison by the “People’s Court” in Pudong, Shanghai, on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” making her the first person in China to be imprisoned for reporting on the Wuhan pandemic. During her initial imprisonment, Zhang Zhan went on a hunger strike, and her health deteriorated to the point of being critically ill.
Her conviction has been widely criticized by human rights organizations. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an organization dedicated to defending journalists’ rights globally, awarded Zhang Zhan the 2021 Press Freedom Award in recognition of her defiance of the threats from Chinese authorities by livestreaming from Wuhan during the early days of the pandemic. Her reporting was lauded as a primary independent source of information for the outside world to understand the Wuhan pandemic situation.
Zhang Zhan has been detained at the Shanghai Women’s Prison for years and was expected to be released on Monday. However, it is currently unclear whether she has been released or under what circumstances.
Shen Yanqiu, a Shanghai human rights activist who has long been following Zhang Zhan’s case, told Voice of America this week that the Shanghai State Security Police not only prohibited her from picking Zhang Zhan up upon release but also warned her against accepting media interviews. Shen Yanqiu, who had planned to accompany Zhang Zhan’s mother to pick her up, was forced to cancel the arrangement. Allegedly, Zhang Zhan’s family and friends are facing immense pressure from the authorities, as calls to the Shanghai Women’s Prison on Tuesday and Wednesday went unanswered.
Reporters Without Borders Taipei Advocacy Commissioner Aleksandra Bielakowska expressed deep concerns that Zhang Zhan might not have been truly released. She highlighted that Chinese authorities not only control the dissemination of information related to Zhang Zhan but also prohibit individuals linked to the case from accepting interviews, ensuring that the international community remains disconnected and unable to discuss or update on Zhang Zhan’s situation.
A former lawyer of Zhang Zhan told The Guardian that Zhang Zhan may have been taken on a “vacation,” which is a euphemism used by Chinese authorities to monitor individuals considered troublesome by accompanying them on supervised trips. The lawyer stated, “Everyone is following and trying to find out what is happening, but there is still no news at present.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin declined to comment on whether Zhang Zhan had been released, stating that there was no “relevant information” regarding the matter.
According to the World Press Freedom Index for 2024 released by Reporters Without Borders in early May, China ranks 173rd out of 180 countries and territories, with the highest number of detained journalists globally, reaching 119 individuals, including 10 from Hong Kong. The organization noted that the Chinese government continues to maintain strict control and censorship over information.