A Shanghai court has sealed the fate of lawyer-turned-citizen journalist Zhang Zhan for her “provoking” COVID-19 reporting.
The 37-year-old woman who is accused of “provoking trouble” and “picking quarrels” with her earlier reporting on the global pandemic will spend the next four years behind bars — if she lives that long.
Zhan has been on a hunger strike for months after being detained in May for making “false remarks.”
“[She] looked devastated,” Ren Quanniu, one of Zhang Zhan’s lawyers, said of his client’s reaction to the sentencing Monday, BBC reported.
“Maybe I have a rebellious soul,” Zhan, who was warned of her February reports from Wuhan, said in an interview obtained by BBC. “I’m just documenting the truth. Why can’t I show the truth?”
Her lawyers say that she is restrained throughout the day and force-fed through a feeding tube.
Leo Lan, a research and advocacy consultant for the rights group Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, told BBC that Chinese officials are sending a clear message Zhan’s arrest and sentencing.
“The Chinese government is very determined to silence her and intimidate other citizens who tried to expose what happened in Wuhan,” he said.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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