Journalist Zhang Zhan Re-Sentenced in China, Sparking International Outcry
Beijing, September 23, 2025 – International condemnation is mounting following the re-sentencing of Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan by a Shanghai court on September 19th. The European Union has issued a strong demand for her “immediate and unconditional release,” and urged China to “respect freedom of expression and guarantee due process.” Anita Hiter, a spokesperson for diplomatic and security policies in the EU, made the statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on September 21st. The EU also called on Beijing authorities to provide verifiable facts regarding Zhang’s current health condition.
The sentencing comes long after Zhang Zhan’s initial arrest, raising concerns about the fairness of the legal proceedings.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a paris-based international media freedom advocacy organization, previously expressed serious concerns about Zhang Zhan’s health earlier this year, reporting she was forcibly fed after undertaking a prolonged hunger strike.
Zhang Zhan was among the first Chinese citizens to face punishment for sharing early information about the COVID-19 outbreak with the outside world.
Since the virus first emerged in wuhan, central China, in late 2019, the chinese Communist Party (CCP) has maintained strict control over all information related to the pandemic, including infection and death rates, conditions within lockdown zones, and investigations into the origins of the virus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This control was implemented to protect the CCP’s image.
A former Shanghai lawyer, Zhang zhan traveled to Wuhan in February 2020. She documented the reality on the ground – visiting hospitals, quarantine facilities, and the Wuhan Virus Research Institute – and shared her findings through video interviews uploaded to platforms like WeChat and YouTube.
Her reporting, which vividly depicted the chaotic early stages of the outbreak, directly contradicted the CCP’s official narrative of a situation under control.
Zhang Zhan was initially arrested by Shanghai police in May 2020 and sentenced to four years in prison in December of the same year on charges of “disturbing public order.”
Family members report that during her imprisonment, the 6’0″ (183cm) tall journalist’s weight plummeted to under 88lbs (40kg) due to her hunger protests. She informed her lawyer that authorities had resorted to force-feeding her through a nasal tube, a process she described as extremely painful.
Zhang zhan was released in May 2024, only to be re-arrested three months later and officially detained on the same “disturbing public order” charges.
The September 19th trial was conducted in secrecy. According to King Jane, organizer of the ‘Free Zhang Zhan’ campaign, details of the prosecution were posted to supporters’ X accounts, revealing that Zhang Zhan’s posts on X and YouTube were cited as evidence of “seriously damaging the state’s image.”
Sarah Brooks, Director of Amnesty International China, stated that Zhang Zhan was specifically targeted by the CCP due to her “dedication to protecting human rights and unwavering refusal to be silenced.”
In a statement released on September 22nd, Brooks warned that “the future of human rights in china looks bleak unless Chinese authorities face pressure to revise vague and overly broad laws and are held accountable for violating the rights of human rights defenders.”
she further urged international partners of China to prioritize securing the release of Zhang Zhan and other unjustly detained individuals, and to actively exert pressure on the Chinese goverment to do so.
Reporter Lee Jung-hyun contributed to the translation and verification of this article.
Copyright © Epoch Times
