WUHAN: A Chinese citizen journalist has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for streaming news and information on social media about the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in the Chinese city.
According to AFP, Zhang Zhan, a journalist who has also been a lawyer, was accused of ‘creating problems’ by reporting in the early days of the epidemic. Her live reports and articles became very popular on social media in February this year, which also made her the centre of attention of the authorities.
In China, the government has taken various steps to quell criticism of its efforts to deal with the coronavirus and has so far convicted eight people. Dozens of diplomats and supporters of Zhang Zhan gathered outside the Shanghai New District People’s Court on Monday morning, but police removed journalists from the entrance upon the arrival of her and her lawyer.
Read more: Wuhan to reopen its educational institutes from next week
According to lawyers for 37-year-old Zhang Zhan, she went on a hunger strike in June but was forced to eat through a tube due to growing health concerns. Zhang Zhan’s trial comes at a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) team is expected to arrive in China in a few weeks to investigate the causes of the coronavirus.
In an article in February, Zhang Zhan wrote that the government did not provide much information to the people and closed the entire city. “This is a gross violation of human rights,” she wrote.
