China: Journalist Zhang Zhan jailed for 4 years for reporting on Covid-19

Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who was detained by the Chinese authorities in May this yr for reporting on the Wuhan virus, was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment on December 28. 37-year previous Zhan was accused of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a cost that may be very generally invoked towards critics and activists in China. She has been observing starvation strike since September. She was force-fed via feeding tubes along with her palms tied in order that she couldn’t tamper with the feeding tubes.
Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, had gone to Wuhan in February this yr the place she reported on quite a few tales together with the detention of different impartial journalists and the harassment of households of victims who sought accountability. She had questioned the lockdown imposed by the Chinese authorities on January 23 following the Wuhan virus outbreak. She had critically reported in regards to the Chinese authorities’s dealing with of the coronavirus outbreak. Zhang Zhan was additionally accused of accepting interviews from abroad media Free Radio Asia and Epoch Times maliciously spreading info on Wuhan virus.
The European Union calls for Zhan’s launch
The European Union yesterday demanded the discharge of Zhan and a number of other different jailed journalists, attorneys and human rights activists. This was mentioned by the EU in an announcement that was issued earlier than it signed a significant funding cope with China regardless of issues about China’s labour and civil rights accord.
Zhan was detained on earlier events
In 2018, Zhan was detained on related expenses. Later in 2019, she was summoned by Shanghai police and was later arrested on suspicion of “picking quarrels” for supporting Hong Kong. Several different journalists like Chen Quishi and Li Zehua have additionally been detained by the Chinese authorities for reporting on the Covid-19 outbreak and the detention of activists.