According to a news report by Reporters Without Borders, an international nonprofit, non-governmental organization defending freedom of the press, China is the world’s biggest captor of journalists. The Chinese government is currently detaining at least 127 reporters with at least 19 of them held for reporting about the COVID-19 crisis in Wuhan.

“Fourteen journalists were arrested in connection with coverage of the pandemic,” disclosed Pauline Ades-Mevel, editor-in-chief of Reporters Without Borders. “The continent that is the most impacted is Asia. That’s the place where there are the most coronavirus(-related) detainees located.”

Zhang Zhan is one of the reporters who have been jailed for covering coronavirus updates during the outbreak. Zhang, a Chinese journalist and former lawyer was sentenced to four years in prison after traveling to Wuhan in February 2020 to provide the world with insight into the city that is thought to be the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One month into her detention in Shanghai, Zhang began a hunger strike in protest against her imprisonment.  Zhang Zhan was admitted to a hospital in late July due to severe malnutrition, but she still remains on a partial hunger strike. Her family, concerned about her deteriorating health, does not have much hope she will survive through the winter as she has recently needed support to walk.

As the pressure for Zhang’s release increases, Reporters Without Borders has honored her with the 2021 Press Freedom Award in hopes of calling attention to her story.

Interested in Zhang Zhan’s case and want to make an impact? Join Amnesty International Club on Monday, December 13th in the library after school to write letters calling for the release of Zhang Zhang and other wrongfully imprisoned individuals.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59544226

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-12-15/china-leads-countries-imprisoning-journalists-according-to-new-reports

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/11/china-release-jailed-wuhan-activist-close-to-death-after-hunger-strike/

https://www.dw.com/en/china-detained-journalist-zhang-zhans-life-hanging-by-a-thread/a-59857448

https://www.dw.com/en/winners-of-the-2021-press-freedom-awards-unveiled/a-5984716