Chinese Journalist Jailed over Covid Reporting ‘Close to Death’, Family Say

A citizen journalist imprisoned in Wuhan for covering China's early response to Covid has gone on hunger strike, according to her family, triggering increased calls from rights groups for her quick release, according to the Guardian.

In February 2020, Zhang Zhan, a 38-year-old former lawyer, traveled to Wuhan to report on the mayhem in the epicenter of Covid, questioning authorities' handling of the Covid outbreak in her smartphone films.

She was arrested in May 2020 and sentenced to four years in prison in December for "picking quarrels and causing commotion," a charge that is frequently used to stifle dissent.

Her brother Zhang Ju said last week on a Twitter account verified by persons close to the situation that she is now severely underweight and "may not live for much longer."

"Zhan stands 177cm tall and weighs less than 40kg. "She might not make it through the upcoming cold winter," Zhang Ju wrote on October 30. He went on to say, "I hope the world remembers how she used to be."

Zhang has been on a hunger strike and has been forced-fed using nasal tubes, according to her legal team, which does not have any information on her present status.

Amnesty International urged the Chinese authorities to "free her immediately so that she can cease her hunger strike and receive the essential medical treatment she sorely needs" in response to Zhang Ju's remarks.

In a statement posted on Thursday, the human rights organisation stated that Zhang "is in risk of dying if she is not quickly released to receive medical treatment."

"Zhang Zhan, who should never have been imprisoned in the first place, appears to be in severe danger of dying in prison now." "The Chinese authorities must free her immediately so that she can end her hunger strike and receive the critical medical care she requires," Amnesty International campaigner Gwen Lee said, calling her detention a "shameful violation on human rights."

"Her blood will be on the hands of the Chinese government if Zhang Zhan dies in prison," Lee continued.

A source close to the citizen journalist, who did not want to be identified, told AFP that the family had requested to meet Zhang more than three weeks ago at the Shanghai women's prison, but had not gotten a response.