The whereabouts of Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, jailed for documenting the early days of Covid-19 in Wuhan and was expected to be released on May 13, are unknown, according to a report by News agency Associated Press. Zhan, who was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” had finished serving her jail term at Shanghai's Women Prison as Monday. Ren Quanniu, a former lawyer who previously represented Zhan, in a conversation with AP expressed concern that Zhan would be released only to be put under another form of control by police. Who is Zhang Zhan? Zhang Zhan is a Chinese citizen journalist, who gained international attention for her courageous reporting during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Born in 1981, Zhan is a former lawyer who transitioned into independent journalism to document the realities of the outbreak. In February 2020, she traveled from her base in Shanghai to Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, to provide firsthand coverage of the situation unfolding on the streets and in hospitals. Despite facing threats from authorities, she continued to livestream and publish essays documenting the truth of the situation. Her videos and livestreams, which were widely viewed on social media platforms such as YouTube, WeChat, and Twitter, provided crucial insights into the severity of the crisis and the government's response. However, her reporting also drew the ire of the Chinese authorities, who viewed her work as undermining their narrative. Zhang Zhan's fearless reporting led to her detention by the authorities on May 14, 2020. She was subsequently charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" — a common charge used against activists in China — and was sentenced to a four-year prison term in December, that year. During her detention, Zhan went on hunger strike multiple times to protest her unjust imprisonment. Reports from her lawyers and human rights organisations indicated that she suffered from deteriorating health conditions, including severe malnutrition and gastrointestinal issues. According to the AP report, calls to Zhan's family members went unanswered. Similarly, phone calls to the Shanghai Prison Administration office also went unanswered. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the case saying, “I’m not aware of the situation.” The coronavirus remains a sensitive topic in China. Among the most well-known controversies was the case of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, who had tried to warn his colleagues about a "Sars-like virus". Dr Li died in February 2020 after contracting Covid-19. It was later revealed that he had been under investigation for "disturbing social order" by "making false comments". The ruling Communist Party filled state media with positive stories about its Covid-19 response. In February 2023, the party's top leaders declared "victory" over the virus and described the government’s response to the pandemic as “a miracle”. Earlier this month, a Chinese scientist who was the first to publish a sequence of the Covid-19 virus, staged a protest after authorities barred him from his lab, after years of demotions and setbacks.
