China releases video blogger who filmed Wuhan lockdown

go through Kelly WuBBC News

A Chinese citizen journalist who was jailed for four years for reporting on the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan will be released on Monday, according to his supporters.

But as of Tuesday, it was unclear whether Zhang had been released, and human rights groups said authorities were expected to release as little information as possible about her condition.

The 40-year-old former lawyer is one of several activists who have clashed with Chinese authorities over their reporting on the coronavirus pandemic. Some have been detained and others have disappeared.

She was convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a charge often levelled against Chinese activists.

Media watchdogs and human rights groups said Zhang was wrongly prosecuted and called on authorities to release her because of her deteriorating health.

Aleksandra Bielakowska, a communications officer at Reporters Without Borders, said there were “huge concerns” about Zhang Yingying’s safety after her release.

“In China, journalists detained for reporting on journalists often remain in detention or under surveillance even after they have completed their sentences,” she said.

“I really don’t think we’re going to get any news anytime soon. They may try to detain her in an undisclosed location or keep her out of sight for a while.”

A lawyer for Zhang Yingying told BBC Chinese that her “personal freedom will still be restricted”, adding that she will now live with her parents in Shanghai.

In February 2020, Zhang traveled from Shanghai to Wuhan to record what she saw on the streets and in hospitals.

Her live broadcasts and articles have been widely viewed on social media, and she continues to create despite threats from the authorities.

A clip from her livestream showed her continuing to film when an officer warned her to “stop filming or he’ll get mad”.

“Maybe I have a rebellious soul… I’m just recording the truth. Why can’t I show the truth?” she said in an interview with an independent filmmaker, excerpts of which were obtained by the BBC.

“I’m not going to stop what I’m doing because this country cannot go backwards.”

This is believed to be her last interview before she was detained.

Before she was reported missing on May 14, 2020, Zhang posted more than 100 videos on her YouTube channel, WeChat and Twitter.

The next day, authorities announced that she had been detained by Shanghai police. In November of the same year, she was charged with Sentenced the following month.

Ms. Zhang went on hunger strike during the first few months of her detention, and her lawyers said at the time that she was being force-fed through a tube.

She remained on partial strike until July 2023, and her weight had reportedly plummeted to just 37kg, half of what it was before her detention.

Reporters Without Borders said she also suffered from severe malnutrition, gastrointestinal problems and a low white blood cell count.

“Journalist Zhang Zhan bravely risked her life to report the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak to the public, and if she had not received timely treatment, she would have been in danger of death,” the group said in a statement last September.

Chinese legal expert Kong Jierong said the significance of Zhang Yingying’s case lies in what happens after she is released.

“Most of the human rights advocates who have been released have been silenced through informal repression tactics,” Professor Cohen said. “Some have tried to leave China and have successfully continued to report on human rights abuses in China, but they are the exception.”

Ms Zhang’s lawyer said that during her detention, police “frequently contacted her family” and instructed them not to discuss the case with others.

“Citizen journalists are the only source of uncensored, first-hand information about the coronavirus outbreak in China.

“Because citizen journalists work independently from state-controlled media, they are constantly harassed for revealing information that the government does not want to reveal,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

When the epidemic first broke out in early 2020, the Chinese internet was rife with information describing a government cover-up and a failing medical system, despite heavy censorship.

But the state censorship apparatus doubled down on unprecedented online outrage.

Several channels fell silent, posts were quickly deleted, and some activists like Ms. Zhang received explicit warnings from the authorities.

One of the most famous cases internationally is that of whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang, who tried to warn his colleagues about a “SARS-like virus.”

Dr. Li died in February 2020 after contracting COVID-19. It was later revealed that he was under investigation for “disturbing social order” by “making false statements.” His death sparked an outpouring of support on social media, but posts were regularly deleted.

The Communist Party has flooded its official media with positive reports about its response to the coronavirus pandemic. In February 2023, top party leaders declared “victory” over the virus and described the government’s response to the pandemic as a “miracle.”

– This article was originally published by BBC