Concerns grow for Chinese journalist allegedly released from prison
Stockholm, May 16 (Hibya) - Concerns are growing over the health of Zhang Zhan, one of China's most prominent citizen journalists, who has been unable to communicate with the outside world since his release from prison.
Zhang Zhan, 40, a lawyer-turned-citizen journalist, was detained in May 2020 after travelling to Wuhan to cover the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. His videos and social media posts drew attention to the government's suppression of information about the spread of the disease and the harsh curfews in place.
In December 2020, Zhang was found guilty of “picking quarrels and causing trouble” and sentenced to four years. Human rights organizations widely criticized his conviction.
Reporters Without Borders awarded Zhang, “one of the main sources of independent information on the health situation in Wuhan at the time”, its 2021 press freedom award for his “reporting from the heart of the first epicentre of the pandemic”.
Albania News Agency
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