Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was one of the few independent voices who showed the extent of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan in 2020

Summary:

Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist, is set to be released after four years of imprisonment for her coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan in 2020. She provided independent reporting on the situation in Wuhan, contrary to the official narrative pushed by the Chinese regime. Despite facing conviction and being sentenced to four years in jail for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” Zhan’s reporting shed light on the severity of the outbreak. She documented overcrowded hospitals and crematoriums, highlighting the grim reality of the situation. Throughout her imprisonment, concerns were raised about her health as she engaged in hunger strikes and was force-fed through nasal tubes.

  • iknt@lemmy.ml
    0·
    5 months ago

    Relevant quote from the trial.

    This court believes that defendant Zhang Zhan repeatedly used WeChat, Twitter, Youtube, and other online media platforms to assume the role of a personal witness and spread indiscriminately fabricated video and written content during a critical period in the effort to control the spread of the coronavirus in Wuhan. This content was published with the aim of distorting the record of, and commentary on, Wuhan’s coronavirus control and prevention efforts, accepting interviews with foreign media outlets including the Epoch Times and Radio Free Asia, thus causing the spread of the relevant false information through networks at home and abroad. The extensive dissemination of this content on the Internet, newspapers, and other media has caused a great number of netizens to see, comment on, and repost it, misleading the public and creating serious public disorder. This behavior constitutes the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. The facts presented by the prosecution are clear, the evidence sufficient, the defendant convicted of the charges, and the court believes the sentencing recommendations are appropriate.