Reporting The Initial Conditions Of The COVID-19 Outbreak In Wuhan, Chinese Journalist Jailed For Four Years

Illustration (Source: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Journalist from China Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison in Shanghai. He was imprisoned for reporting the initial conditions of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, said one of his lawyers.

Launching SCMP, Monday December 28, Zhang was found guilty by the Shanghai People's Court on Monday morning December 28 of "quarreling and provoking trouble," a broadly defined offense that carries a maximum sentence of five years and is often used by the police to silence dissent.

"Zhang Zhan attended the trial in a wheelchair and is in poor health," said his lawyer, Zhang Keke.

On social media after the trial, Zhang Keke said: “(During the trial) the prosecutor only read the names of the evidence and did not present the core evidence and most of the evidence. Zhang Zhan said citizens' statements should not be censored. Besides, he's basically not talking. "

Zhang Zhan, who has been held at a detention center in Pudong district in Shanghai since mid-May, has defended himself. In June, he began refusing to eat in protest at his arrest. He is one of the few Chinese citizen journalists to report on people's early experiences in Wuhan during the city lockdown. Others have been detained or ordered to stop their online reporting.

Zhang Zhan's report also includes coverage of the detention of other independent journalists and an emphasis on victims' families seeking accountability. In a video interview with an independent filmmaker prior to his arrest, Zhang said he decided to visit Wuhan after reading a resident's post about life in the city during the outbreak. Arriving in Wuhan, he began documenting what he saw on the streets and hospitals on a live broadcast, despite threats from the authorities.

"I'm only documenting the truth. Why can't I show you the truth?" Zhang Zhan said in an interview. "I will not stop what I have done because this country cannot back down."

Debate in court

Dozens of citizens who came from all over the country supporting Zhang Zhan in front of the Pudong court were kicked out by the police. Li Dawei, a rights activist and former police officer from Gansu province, took a train to Shanghai to show his support. He arrived at the court at around 9 am and was asked to enter the courtroom to observe the trial but was stopped by the police.

He argued with the police, claiming that the accusations against Mr. Zhang only "provoked trouble" that did not involve state secrets or personal privacy. He questions why, as a public court, citizens cannot come in and listen.

Li said the police said he should have appealed to the judge beforehand, but Li said this violated the citizens' freedom to observe open court cases. Ms. Li was taken to the police station and released around 1 pm.

Several other citizen journalists who submitted reports from Wuhan, Li Zehua, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin, were reported missing earlier this year. Li Zehua finally reappeared, saying he was forcibly quarantined.

Meanwhile, Chen is reportedly living with his family but under government supervision. Fang Bin's whereabouts are still unknown.