Key Highlights
- Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan sentenced to four additional years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”
- The 42-year-old former lawyer previously served four years for documenting COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan during early 2020
- China maintains position as world’s largest jailer of journalists with at least 50 media workers imprisoned as of December 2024
Opening Overview
Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan faces another four years behind bars after receiving a second prison sentence on Friday, September 20, 2025, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The 42-year-old citizen journalist and former lawyer was convicted on the same vague charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” that led to her initial four-year imprisonment in December 2020. Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan’s latest sentencing represents a continuation of China’s systematic crackdown on independent journalism and press freedom, particularly targeting those who challenge official narratives about sensitive topics.
The former lawyer turned citizen journalist had documented the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak from Wuhan, posting firsthand accounts that painted a more dire picture than the government’s official narrative. After completing her initial sentence in May 2024, Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan was detained again just three months later, eventually being formally arrested and placed in Shanghai’s Pudong Detention Centre. Her case has become emblematic of China’s broader assault on press freedom and independent reporting.
#China earns the distinction of putting 124 #Journalists behind bars.
— Dr. Subhash (@Subhash_LiveS) September 21, 2025
It ranks 178/180 among Countries in #WorldsPressFreedomIndex.#ZhangZhan was sentenced additional 4 yrs Prison. She #Whistleblowed from ground zero in #Yuhan during #Covid19.
Via #Reuters
Old video pic.twitter.com/1xOY72eUxK
Systematic Persecution of Independent Journalism
- Chinese authorities have never publicly specified the exact activities that led to Zhang Zhan’s charges
- Her latest sentence stems from reporting on human rights abuses and comments made on overseas websites
Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan’s persecution reflects the Communist Party’s zero tolerance for independent journalism that challenges state narratives. During her initial reporting mission to Wuhan in February 2020, she traveled from Shanghai to document the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the city. Through dozens of short videos live-streamed on Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms, she showed overflowing hospitals, empty streets, crematoria working around the clock, and the harassment of families seeking accountability for virus victims.
Her reporting directly contradicted the official government narrative that the pandemic was under control. In one particularly damaging story from February 16, 2020, Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan accused the government of covering up the true numbers of infections and deaths “in the name of maintaining stability” while keeping media under strict control. She criticized authorities for “coercively and violently ordering and depriving people of their basic human and property rights” through the imposed lockdown measures.
The former lawyer’s background in human rights activism made her particularly dangerous to authorities. Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan had previously been disbarred for her human rights work, with her law license suspended in retaliation for her activism. This pattern of targeting legal professionals who defend human rights has become a hallmark of China’s approach to silencing dissent.
International Condemnation and Press Freedom Crisis
- RSF reports China holds at least 124 media workers behind bars, making it the world’s largest prison for journalists
- The Committee to Protect Journalists documented 50 journalists imprisoned in China as of December 2024
International press freedom organizations have strongly condemned Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan’s second sentencing. Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF’s Asia-Pacific advocacy manager, declared that “she should be celebrated globally as an ‘information hero,’ not trapped in brutal prison conditions”. The advocacy manager emphasized the urgent need for the international diplomatic community to pressure Beijing for Zhang’s immediate release.
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ Asia-Pacific director, Beh Lih Yi, characterized the proceedings as “the second time Zhang Zhan has faced trial on baseless charges that amount to nothing more than a blatant act of persecution for her journalism work”. The organization has called on Chinese authorities to end the arbitrary detention, drop all charges, and free her immediately.
China’s ranking in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index reflects this deteriorating situation. The country dropped to 178th out of 180 nations and territories, falling from 172nd place the previous year. This dramatic decline places China among the world’s worst performers for press freedom, just ahead of North Korea in 179th place. The RSF index noted that China’s propaganda model has inspired systematic media control in other authoritarian regimes across the region.
Health Deterioration and Prison Conditions
- Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan began hunger strikes during both her first and second detentions to protest arbitrary imprisonment
- Prison authorities have reportedly subjected her to force-feeding through gastric tubes, constituting torture under international law
The physical toll on Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan during her imprisonment has been severe and well-documented. During her first detention, she began a hunger strike one month after her arrest in May 2020. Court documents reviewed by Reuters revealed that police restrained her hands and force-fed her through a tube during this protest. Her health deteriorated so significantly that she was hospitalized from July 31 to August 11, 2021, due to malnutrition.
According to multiple reports, including one published by Rights Defense Network on January 25, 2025, Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan has engaged in intermittent hunger strikes during her current detention to protest the arbitrary nature of her imprisonment. Detention center personnel have reportedly responded by subjecting her to force-feeding through gastric tubes, a practice that constitutes ill-treatment and potentially torture under the Convention Against Torture, which China ratified in 1988.
The forced feeding represents a serious threat to her health and violates international standards for the treatment of prisoners. During her first imprisonment, Zhang’s condition became so critical by late October 2021 that her mother and brother considered her close to death, prompting calls from the United States government, Reporters Without Borders, and the United Nations human rights office for her immediate unconditional release.
Global Context of Journalist Imprisonment
- The Committee to Protect Journalists documented 361 journalists imprisoned worldwide as of December 1, 2024
- China, Israel, and Myanmar emerged as the world’s three worst offenders for jailing journalists in 2024
Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan’s case occurs within a broader global crisis of press freedom. The Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2024 prison census revealed that 361 journalists were behind bars worldwide on December 1, 2024, representing the second-highest number since the global record of 370 set in 2022. China led this grim ranking with 50 imprisoned journalists, followed by Israel with 43 and Myanmar with 35.
The primary drivers of journalist imprisonment in 2024 included ongoing authoritarian repression in countries like China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Belarus, and Russia, as well as war-related detentions in Israel and Russia. Political and economic instability also contributed to journalist imprisonments in Egypt, Nicaragua, and Bangladesh. More than 60% of imprisoned journalists worldwide faced broad anti-state charges, including often-vague accusations of terrorism or extremism.
Asia remained the region with the highest number of journalists behind bars in 2024, accounting for more than 30% of the global total with 111 imprisoned media workers. Beyond the leading jailers of China, Myanmar, and Vietnam, journalists were also detained in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines. The pervasive nature of censorship in China makes it particularly difficult to determine the exact number of journalists jailed there, as families are often too intimidated by mass surveillance to discuss relatives’ arrests.
Closing Assessment
Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan’s second four-year prison sentence represents more than individual persecution; it symbolizes China’s systematic assault on independent journalism and press freedom. Her case demonstrates how authoritarian governments use vague legal charges to silence truthful reporting that challenges official narratives. The international community’s continued calls for her release highlight the global significance of her struggle and the broader implications for press freedom worldwide.
The deterioration of Zhang’s health through forced feeding and prolonged detention underscores the urgent need for international pressure to secure her release. As China maintains its position as the world’s largest jailer of journalists, Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan’s courage in documenting the early COVID-19 outbreak serves as a powerful reminder of journalism’s essential role in holding governments accountable, even at tremendous personal cost.
