Chinese Journalist Covering COVID-19 in Wuhan Almost Died in Prison

BEIJING – A citizen journalist imprisoned for his coverage of the early response China to COVID-19 in Wuhan almost died in his holding cell after going on a hunger strike. His family revealed his condition, prompting renewed calls from human rights groups for his immediate release.

Zhang Zhan, 38, a former lawyer, traveled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the chaos at the center of the pandemic. Through his smartphone video, he carried out coverage questioning the Chinese authorities’ handling of the outbreak.

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He was arrested in May 2020 and sentenced to four years in prison in December on charges of inciting controversy and provoking trouble, a charge routinely used by Chinese authorities to suppress dissent.

“He is now very thin and may not live much longer,” his brother, Zhang Ju, wrote on Twitter last week.

His near-death condition was also verified by people familiar with the matter.

His legal team earlier this year told AFP that Mr. Zhang had gone on a hunger strike and was force-fed through a nasal tube. However, they had no information about his current condition.

“He might not survive the coming winter,” wrote Zhang Ju, who added that he had urged his sister in a letter to take care of herself.

“In his heart, it seems that there is only God and his faith, without caring about anything else,” said Zhang Ju.

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