Journalist Zhang Zhan, who is a Chinese citizen, was arrested and sentenced to 4 years in prison for covering the situation in Wuhan when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Released in May 2024, Zhang was arrested again three months later and sentenced to another 4 years in September 2025.
According to information provided by the International Press Freedom Organization (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Zhang Zhan was again charged with "inciting conflict and causing scandal." This accusation was identical to his previous trial, which was regarded as harassment of a journalist who had exercised freedom of speech.
Zhang Zhan had posted videos about hospitals and empty streets in Wuhan. As his former lawyer Ren Quanniu noted, Zhang only freely expressed his opinion. China is currently the country with the largest number of journalists imprisoned in the world, which poses a major threat to journalistic freedom.
