Chinese citizen journalist jailed for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reports

Zhang Zhan has been held in detention since she was arrested in May

A Chinese court sentenced a citizen journalist to four years in prison on Monday for her reports from Wuhan during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

Zhang Zhan, 37, was found guilty of picking quarrels and provoking trouble after a brief hearing in Shanghai, according to one of her defence lawyers, Ren Quanniu. She had faced up to five years on the charge, which authorities regularly use to detain activists and other dissidents.  

Zhang, a former lawyer, had travelled to Wuhan in early February to chronicle the chaotic early stages and residents’ experiences of the coronavirus outbreak. She posted reports and livestreamed scenes from the city on WeChat, Facebook and Twitter, including evidence of crematoriums operating at midnight as the death toll rose. 

She also reported on the detentions of other citizen journalists. 

Zhang, a former lawyer, has been in detention since May and is in deteriorating health. She has been on a hunger strike for months to protest her detention, and has been subjected to force-feeding through a nasal tube, according to her lawyers.

 “She said when I visited her (last week): ‘If they give me a heavy sentence then I will refuse food until the very end.’… She thinks she will die in prison,” Ren told the AFP news agency.

“It’s an extreme method of protesting against this society and this environment,” he added. 

Following early missteps and accusations of cover-ups, China has since brought Covid-19 largely under control within its borders. 

Chinese authorities insist that they responded promptly to the outbreak during its critical first weeks. However, the government has obstructed efforts for any independent investigation into the source of the virus that sparked the global pandemic. 

A team from the World Health Organisation is due to travel to Wuhan next month to investigate.