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Where Is Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan?
In the State Department’s recently released human rights report on the People’s Republic of China, among the significant abuses listed are “serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including criminal prosecution of journalists, lawyers, writers, bloggers, dissidents, petitioners, and others.”
The report notes the arrest of “countless citizens for spreading fake news;” the imprisonment of “numerous journalists working in traditional and new media;” the singling out of political prisoners for “particularly harsh punishment;” the frequent subjection of “former political prisoners and their families to surveillance, telephone wiretaps, searches, and other forms of harassment or threats.”
The disturbing case of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan is a recent example of such abuses. Zhang, a former lawyer, was arrested in May 2020, after she reported from Wuhan on the PRC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her reporting gave a rare and different perspective from the government’s positive narrative. PRC authorities charged Zhang with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and sentenced her to four years in prison. While there, her health deteriorated; she dropped to 90lbs (40kg), and when she went on a hunger strike, prison officials force-fed her, tying and chaining her arms, torso, and feet.
On May 13, Zhang’s 4-year prison term was up, and she was scheduled to be released. Yet her whereabouts remain unknown, and PRC authorities refuse to disclose any information. Additionally, as Reporters without Borders noted, “In the weeks prior to Zhang Zhan’s scheduled release, human rights defenders and lawyers were threatened by authorities and warned not to raise her case internationally.” Her family was also reportedly threatened and warned not to speak about her.
“The United States is deeply concerned over reports that PRC citizen journalist Ms. Zhang Zhan has disappeared following her expected release from Shanghai Women’s Prison on May 13,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement. “The United States has repeatedly expressed our serious concerns about the arbitrary nature of her detention and authorities’ mistreatment of her. We reiterate our call for the PRC to respect the human rights of Ms. Zhang, including by immediately ending the restrictive measures that she and all journalists in the PRC face, which include surveillance, censorship, harassment, and intimidation. Journalists in the PRC should be safe and able to report freely.”