Journalist and former lawyer Zhang Zhan on 'verge of death' in Chinese prison

Zhang Zhan, a jailed Chinese citizen journalist and former lawyer, is on the 'verge of death' after months of intermittent hunger strikes in protest of her imprisonment. The 37-year-old Zhang was sentenced to four years in prison in December 2020 after being found guilty of a loosely defined charge often levelled by authorities against individuals, who are critical of the Chinese government, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA). Zhang's brother Zhang Ju stated that her sister is not going to live much longer. Last month, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed worry over the health of the Chinese journalist and urged the authorities to exonerate and free her without delay. The British Embassy to China also took to Twitter to urge Chinese authorities to release Zhang and all those detained for their reporting.

Zhang Zhan on 'verge of death' in Chinese prison

It is significant to mention here that Zhang covered the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan in February 2020, exposing the Chinese authorities' strategies for controlling the virus' spread as well as the situation in local hospitals. Following this, she was arrested in May 2020 on charges of distributing false information on social media. Zhang allegedly commented on the COVID pandemic while giving interviews to international news organisations, according to the indictment document. Zhang has been on a hunger strike in protest of the unjust charges levelled against her owing to which her health has severely deteriorated, reported the RFA. 

Zhang pleaded not guilty in court

Zhang reached the court in a wheelchair for her trial and pleaded not guilty. In China's legal system, a guilty plea is usually a prerequisite for more lenient sentencing under the governing Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On October 28, Zhang's mother had talked to her daughter on a video call and told the RFA that her health had deteriorated. "She can no longer walk alone, and her head wobbles as she speaks. If they don't release her on medical parole, she'll be in grave danger," Zhang's mother explained. The journalist has continued her hunger strike despite frantic pleas from her own family, according to Gansu-based rights activist Li Dawei as reported by RFA. 

(Image: Twitter/@UK in China)