The ongoing detention of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has sparked renewed calls for her release, with the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders urging Chinese authorities to address her situation urgently. Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer turned activist, is currently facing accusations of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble,” a charge that has drawn international criticism for its vagueness and potential misuse against human rights defenders.
Zhang was arrested by Shanghai police following her visit to Gansu province in August 2024, where she was involved in assisting another activist, Zhang Pancheng. Her formal charges were pressed in November 2024, as reported by the World Organisation Against Torture. Currently held at the Pudong Detention Centre in Shanghai, there is limited information about her condition due to restrictions placed on her lawyer.
According to Amnesty International, Zhang’s arrest points to a broader trend of intolerance towards dissent by Chinese authorities. Her situation has drawn significant attention due to the severe health risks resulting from hunger strikes she has undertaken to protest her detention. Rights Defense Network reports, highlighted by Reporters Without Borders, detail how detention center personnel have force-fed her through a gastric tube, a practice the Observatory notes as potentially amounting to torture.
The Observatory has called upon the Chinese government to adhere to the Convention against Torture, which China has ratified, to protect Zhang’s physical and psychological well-being. The organization stresses that her ongoing detention appears to penalize her for her legitimate activities as a journalist and advocate.
Zhang’s previous arrest in 2020 for reporting on Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores her consistent role in challenging state narratives. At the time, she was sentenced to four years in prison for similar charges. On that occasion, following prolonged hunger strikes, Zhang’s health deteriorated, requiring medical intervention for malnutrition, as noted by Radio Free Asia.
The case of Zhang Zhan continues to highlight significant concerns regarding freedom of expression and the treatment of journalists in China. Legal professionals and human rights advocates both inside and outside the country are closely monitoring the developments.
Read more on the unfolding situation regarding Zhang Zhan here.