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November 29, 2024 – China –
Shanghai authorities detained Zhang Zhan—widely known for her reporting from Wuhan in early 2020—under the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vague offense frequently used against dissidents. This re‑arrest followed her release in May after completing a four-year sentence stemming from her independent pandemic coverage.
Zhang’s initial imprisonment began in December 2020 when she was convicted of “fabricating” stories about Wuhan’s pandemic response, including claims that residents paid COVID‑19 testing fees and were provided rotten food during quarantine. She pleaded not guilty, and human rights groups noted Shanghai authorities reportedly used force-feeding via gastric tube during her hunger strikes in detention conditions described as tantamount to torture.
Her re‑detention last month, after she traveled to Gansu province to support fellow activist Zhang Bancheng, came amid escalating repression of citizen journalists. Zhang’s lawyer and mother were also reportedly harassed following the arrest. Amnesty International and the International Federation of Journalists condemned the re-arrest, labeling it a signal of Beijing’s intolerance for independent reporting, even after Zhang had ostensibly “served her debt” to the state.
According to VOA, Zhang commenced another hunger strike in detention and was force-fed again, suggesting repeated use of coercive tactics to silence her. The arrest once more violated her legal rights, notably by denying her access to family, legal counsel, or due process.
Reference –
China: Re-detention of activist Zhang Zhan highlights Beijing’s intolerance of dissent
