Image: from Samuel Chu 朱牧民 X @samuelmchu
By Liam Scott | Staff Writer with Agencies
BEIJING — Zhang Zhan, the Chinese journalist who brought global attention to the early days of COVID-19 in Wuhan, has been sentenced to another four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Zhang was arrested again on August 28, 2024, after reporting on alleged human rights abuses by the Chinese government. RSF said she had been “completely isolated from the outside world” for the past year, with almost no information about her whereabouts disclosed.
“She should be celebrated globally as an ‘information hero,’ not imprisoned in inhumane conditions,” RSF’s Asia-Pacific advocacy manager said in a statement quoted by NBC News. “This persecution must end.”
Her lawyer, Ren Qianqiu, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the charges lacked any legal basis and that Zhang was being punished for comments posted on international websites. Chinese authorities have not publicly detailed the activities that triggered her new prosecution.
Media freedom advocates condemned the ruling. Beh Lih Yi, Asia-Pacific director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said this was “the second time Zhang Zhan has been put on trial for baseless accusations, a clear act of persecution against her journalistic work.”
Reporting facts is not a crime.
Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan spent 4 years in Chinese prison, was re-arrested last year after release, and now faces even more years behind bars.
Don’t look away from this injustice.⁰#FreeZhangZhanhttps://t.co/qukriWtfTX pic.twitter.com/Or7qwZwhsC
— Maarten De Cock (@mdc_martinus) September 18, 2025
History of Detention
Zhang first came to prominence in early 2020 when she shared more than 100 videos on social media documenting the reality in Wuhan as the coronavirus spread. Her footage showed overflowing hospitals and deserted streets, contradicting the official narrative presented by Beijing.
She was detained on May 14, 2020, and seven months later sentenced to four years in prison on the same “provoking trouble” charge. At the time, her lawyer argued she was being persecuted for exercising her right to free speech.
During her first imprisonment, Zhang staged a hunger strike that nearly killed her. Authorities responded by force-feeding her through a nasal tube and, at times, reportedly keeping her in shackles for days.
Her first sentence ended in May 2024, but she was arrested again just three months later.
Press Freedom in China
China is the world’s leading jailer of journalists, with at least 124 currently imprisoned, according to RSF. In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, China ranked 178 out of 180 countries, ahead of only North Korea and Eritrea.
Advocacy groups warn that Zhang’s case illustrates the Chinese government’s determination to silence independent reporting. RSF has called for her immediate release, while international observers continue to demand that Beijing respect freedom of expression.