Human Lives Human Rights: Chinese authorities must cease their persecution of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who is currently held at the Pudong New District Detention Center in Shanghai. Zhang has seemingly been targeted for her unwavering advocacy for human rights since her release from prison on May 13, 2024.
The recent and predictable re-detention of Zhang Zhan marks a continuation of the government’s relentless harassment campaign against her, even following her release. Since regaining her freedom in May, Zhang has faced intensified surveillance, particularly over the past month.
This latest detention exemplifies the Chinese government’s deep-seated intolerance for dissent, especially towards Zhang, who has persistently raised her voice on behalf of other human rights defenders despite being unjustly imprisoned. Her re-detention is a clear message that the authorities will not hesitate to silence those who refuse to bow to oppression.
Following her release in May, Zhang Zhan expressed concerns about governmental monitoring of her online activities. Reports indicate that she endured regular police questioning over the past month, with some interrogations stretching beyond ten hours.
In late August, Zhang traveled from Shanghai to Gansu province to demonstrate solidarity with fellow human rights advocates. Shortly thereafter, during a visit to her hometown in Shaanxi, she became unreachable; civil society sources reported that she had been apprehended by police from Shanghai, over 1,000 kilometers away.
On September 2, Zhang Zhan marked her 41st birthday—her first since her release. However, instead of celebrating this long-awaited reunion with her family, she found herself spending yet another birthday deprived of her liberty.
We call on the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Zhang Zhan and ensure she is granted full freedom, as well as protection from any further surveillance or harassment.
Background
Zhang Zhan is a citizen journalist who was initially jailed for reporting on the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. A former lawyer, she traveled to Wuhan in February 2020 to provide first-hand insights into the situation on the ground. Her reports included details about the detention of independent journalists and the harassment experienced by families of COVID-19 patients.
Zhang went missing in Wuhan in May 2020, later emerging as one of many victims of the Chinese government’s crackdown on dissent. Detained in Shanghai, she was convicted on dubious charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” following what many observers describe as a sham trial. After serving four years in prison, she was released in May 2024, only to face stringent surveillance and continued harassment from the authorities.
