China: COVID citizen journalist 'close to death' in jail

Zhang Zhan traveled to Wuhan in February last year to report on the chaos at the epicenter of the first coronavirus outbreak. She is on hunger strike after receiving a 4-year jail sentence for "provoking trouble."

    

Zhang was jailed for four years for her reporting from Wuhan as the COVID-19 outbreak unfurled

Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who was jailed for 4-years over her coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, is at imminent risk of dying, the International Federation of Human Rights said Friday.

Citing a relative, the IFHR said Zhang — who has been on partial hunger strike since June last year — currently weighs less than 40 kilos (88 pounds), is unable to walk unassisted and cannot raise her head without assistance.

At times, the former lawyer has been force-fed through tubes due to severe malnutrition, according to IFHR, which said it had been updated by the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) group.

AFP news agency cited a tweet from her brother Zhang Ju that she "may not live for much longer."

"In her heart, it seems there is only God and her beliefs, with no care for anything else," he added.

Family request to visit left unanswered

Someone close to Zhang, who declined to be named, told AFP the family had asked to meet her more than three weeks ago at the Shanghai women's prison but had not received a response.

IFHR said it was "deeply concerned" about Zhang's condition and urged "the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release her and grant her immediate access to adequate and comprehensive medical treatment."  

Amnesty International campaigner Gwen Lee said in a statement that Zhang's detention was a "shameful attack on human rights."

continue