China: Over 70 Signatories Join CFWIJ’s Call To Release Chinese Journalist Zhang Zhan

Location: China
Date: November 24, 2021

More than 70 journalists, rights advocates, press freedom groups and related organizations have joined the Coalition For Women In Journalism’s call to demand that the Chinese authorities immediately release journalist Zhang Zhan from prison. 

We call on President Xi Jinping to drop all charges against Zhang Zhan. The citizen journalist, whose only “crime” was uncovering Beijing’s initial mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been in jail since May 2020 and is fatally ill. She must immediately be released from prison.  

After her illuminating coverage of the initial Covid-19 response in Wuhan, Zhang was arrested in May 2020. Then, on December 8, 2020, the Shanghai Pudong New Area Court conducted a mere three-hour-long trial and sentenced Zhang to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”.  

Zhang, a former lawyer, has been on a prolonged hunger strike to protest her detention and is being force-fed through a nasal tube. Family sources say Zhang's health has worsened to the extent that she is now in mortal danger.

The journalist’s family has stressed that Zhang has gone through drastic and extreme weight loss.  She “may not survive the coming cold winter,” they said on Twitter. The journalist has also been mistreated in prison and her family was denied visiting rights. Earlier in August, she was hospitalized for 11 days as her health worsened.

As Zhang’s health in prison deteriorates, bringing her to the brink of death, the CFWIJ and the undersigned organisations and individuals reiterate their demand for her release. The arrest of the journalist was condemnable to begin with. But to continue to keep her in prison even as her life is at risk due to mistreatment by the state is abominable. 

The CFWIJ  insists once again that Zhang committed no offence. China must recognize that journalism is not a crime and cannot be treated as such. The Chinese government should stop putting their journalists behind bars for fulfilling their duty to inform the public. The country ranks 177 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, with more than 115 press freedom defenders in prison. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism, the Human Rights Watch, Article 19 and more than 70 undersigned organizations and individuals demand Zhang Zhan’s immediate release and transfer to a safe health institution with her consent.

Signatories:

  1. Human Rights Watch

  2. ARTICLE 19 org

  3. PEN International

  4. IFEX

  5. The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)

  6. The Overseas Press Club of America

  7. The International Women’s Media Foundation

  8. Sri Lanka Young Journalists’ Association

  9. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

  10. Free Press Unlimited 

  11. Kiran Nazish, Founding Director at CFWIJ, United States

  12. Fengsuo Zhou, President of Humanitarian China

  13. Yaxue Cao, China Change

  14. Zubayra Shamseden, Chinese Outreach Coordinator at Uyghur Human Rights Project

  15. Damla Tarhan, Operations Manager at CFWIJ, Turkey

  16. Die Morina van Uijtregt, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ, Kosovo

  17. Jaza Aqil, Senior Editorial Coordinator at CFWIJ, Pakistan 

  18. Ceren İskit, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ, Turkey

  19. Ayesha Khalid, Researcher at CFWIJ, Pakistan

  20. Louisa Greve, Human Rights Advocate, United States

  21. Mary Lynk, Journalist, Canada

  22. Rachel Wong, Independent Journalist

  23. Taranath Dahal, Journalism, Nepal

  24. Jane Wang, Free Zhang Zhan campaigner, UK

  25. Meghan Davidson Ladly, Journalist, Canada

  26. Aimun Faisal, Researcher at CFWIJ 

  27. Idro Seferi, DW correspondent, Serbia

  28. Alice Taylor, Journalist EURACTIV.com and Exit.al, Associate at CFWIJ

  29. Entenela Ndrevataj, journalist at Citizens Channel, Albania 

  30. Ross Holder, PEN International

  31. Paula Tran, Journalist, Canada

  32. Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Journalist, Albania

  33. Indunil Usgoda Arachchi, Journalist, Sri Lanka

  34. Srishti Jaswal, Independent Journalist, India

  35. Áine Kelly-Costello, journalist, Norway

  36. Tim Smith, photojournalist, Canada

  37. Zeynep Sentek, journalist, Turkey

  38. Terena Cardwell, Project Manager, United States of America

  39. Xhemajl Rexha, Chairman of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo

  40. Marcela Turati, journalist, Mexico

  41. Dilek İçten, Journalist, Turkey

  42. Martin O'Hanlon, President, CWA Canada, The Media Union

  43. Boyoung Lim, Pulitzer Center, South Korea

  44. Dicle Müftüoğlu, Dicle Firat Journalist Association (DFG), Diyarbakır-Turkey

  45. Serdar Altan, Dicle Firat Journalist Association (DFG), Diyarbakır-Turkey

  46. Olivia Pirie-Griffiths, Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, Australia

  47. Samad Uthman, Multimedia Investigative Journalist, Nigeria.

  48. Ariuntuya.A, journalist,  Mongolia

  49. Munkhchimeg Davaasharav, Journalist, Mongolia

  50. Maria Ordzhonikidze, Justice for Journalists Foundation

  51. Matthew Caruana Galizia, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation

  52. Cédric Alviani, Reporters Without Borders East Asia Bureau Head

  53. Aleksandra Bielakowska, Senior Researcher, Reporters Without Borders East Asia Bureau

  54. Fabienne Allaire, Teacher, France 

  55. Jenni Wyn Hyatt, UK

  56. Stuart Russell, Co-chair, Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL)

  57. Laura Maria Ele Prinetti, Journalist, Italy

  58. John Kohn III, Event Rigger and Technician, United States of America

  59. Kai Vogelsang, Scholar, Germany

  60. Alex Kaye, Director, United Kingdom

  61. Guo Kunpeng, Private business owner, China

  62. Gan Yu Lin, KLSACH Youth, Malaysia  

  63. Gail Debono, Psychologist, Malta

  64. Matilda Duri, Freelance journalist, Albania

  65. Walid Bashir, Egypt

  66. Batzorig Chimeddorj, Student, Mongolia 

  67. Joanna Chiu, Author, Journalist, Canada

  68. Beena Sarwar, Journalist, Pakistan/USA

  69. Amy Zhong, Student, USA

  70. Lori Amy, Professor, USA

  71. Louisa Bertman, Illustrator, USA

 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.

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