Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist, has been released from prison after completing a four-year sentence related to her reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. She made a video statement announcing her release eight days after her sentence ended.
Zhang was convicted on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a broadly interpreted charge often used in political cases. Despite her release, her former lawyers and family were unreachable on the day she left prison.
Shanghai police had been in contact with activists and her former legal representatives in the days leading up to her release.
In a brief video, Ms. Zhang recounted how the police escorted her to her brother Zhang Ju’s home on May 13, the day she completed her sentence.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone for their assistance and support,” she said softly, standing in what seemed to be a hallway of an apartment building.
The video was shared by Jane Wang, an overseas activist who initiated the Free Zhang Zhan campaign in the United Kingdom and maintains communication with one of Ms. Zhang’s previous lawyers.
“I want to thank everyone for their help and concern,” Ms. Wang said in a statement, expressing ongoing worries about Ms. Zhang’s limited freedom. Concerns persisted that she might face continued monitoring by the police despite her release from prison.
The United States Department of State also voiced concerns about Ms. Zhang’s status shortly after her scheduled release. Ren Quanniu, who represented Ms. Zhang before his license was revoked in February 2021, confirmed the authenticity of the video by speaking with Ms. Zhang’s family.
Ms. Zhang was part of a small group of citizen journalists who traveled to Wuhan in February 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic, when the city was under strict lockdown measures.
She documented the situation, walking around the city as concerns grew about the then-unknown coronavirus.
Several other citizen journalists faced imprisonment for their documentation of the pandemic’s early days, including Fang Bin, who filmed scenes of overwhelmed hospitals and bodies during the outbreak.
Mr. Fang was sentenced to three years in prison and released in April last year. Another citizen journalist, Chen Qiushi, went missing in February 2020 while reporting from Wuhan.
He resurfaced in September 2021 during a live video on YouTube hosted by a friend, citing depression but offering no details about his disappearance.
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