Zhang Zhan

Zhang Zhan (simplified Chinese: 张展; traditional Chinese: 張展; pinyin: Zhāng Zhǎn; born 2 September 1983)^[1] is a Chinese citizen journalist and former lawyer who travelled to Wuhan in February 2020, from where she reported on the impact of the lockdown measures imposed in the city in response to the COVID-19 outbreak there, and questioned the handling of the crisis by authorities.^[2] She was detained in May 2020, and was later tortured and sentenced in December 2020 to four years imprisonment on the charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" (寻衅滋事). She is the first citizen journalist to be sentenced for reporting on the pandemic in China, although at least ten journalists and commentators were known to have been arrested for their coronavirus reporting as of February 2021, with seven remaining missing or detained as of that date.^[3] Chen Qiushi reappeared in September 2021.^[4]

Zhang was hospitalized from 31 July until 11 August 2021, due to malnutrition after an extended intermittent hunger strike.^[5] In late October, her mother and brother considered Zhang to be close to death as she continued her hunger strike,^[6][7] leading to calls by the United States government, Reporters without Borders,^[8] and the United Nations human rights office for her immediate unconditional release.^[9] In May 2024, she was reported to having been released from prison after completion of her sentence, although her current whereabouts is unknown.^[10]