(Shanghai — August 26, 2025) Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist widely known for reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan in 2020, was arrested again only three months after completing her previous prison term. She has now been held for nearly a year, with no trial date set.
Detained Shortly After Release
According to sources, Zhang Zhan was taken away by local police on August 28, 2024, from her hometown in Sanyuan County, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, and placed under criminal detention the following day. Two months later, her arrest was formally approved by the Pudong New Area People’s Procuratorate in Shanghai and executed by the Public Security Bureau of the Pudong branch. The case was handed over to the prosecution in December of the same year and formally indicted in January 2025 before the Pudong New Area People’s Court. However, more than seven months later, the court has yet to announce a trial date.
Charged with “Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble”
The prosecution has charged Zhang Zhan with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge frequently used by Chinese authorities in cases related to speech. Zhang Zhan’s defense lawyer has so far been allowed to meet with her, but developments in the case continue to draw intense attention from the public.
Pressure on Family and Gag Orders
Sources also revealed that police have repeatedly “notified” Zhang Zhan’s parents not to speak publicly about the case, even threatening to suspend their pensions. Such tactics are seen as standard methods used by local governments to control information about sensitive cases.
Background: Reporting on Wuhan and Previous Imprisonment
Zhang Zhan was previously arrested in 2020 for reporting the scenes of the streets of Wuhan under lockdown and, in December of the same year, was sentenced to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” She staged prolonged hunger strikes while in prison, and the conditions of her health drew international concern. On May 13, 2024, she was released after completing her sentence, and soon after, she began following and reposting information about harassment of human rights activists on social media. Less than three months later, she was detained again.
Health Concerns and Hunger Strike
According to Reporters Without Borders, Zhang Zhan’s health is currently of great concern, and she has recently resumed a hunger strike. Reports indicate she has been subjected to forced feeding at the detention center. Due to strict information controls, her exact physical condition cannot be independently verified.
Prolonged Detention Without Trial
Human rights observers note that in China, similar cases are often delayed for years before going to trial. Even when final sentences are relatively short, defendants may already have served nearly the full term while awaiting judgment. Authorities usually frame this prolonged detention as “handling cases according to law,” refusing to acknowledge procedural misconduct.
Compared with prisons, conditions in detention centers in China are considered harsher, with worse living conditions and even less transparency, making it harder to monitor the treatment of detainees.
Calls for Release and International Pressure
Although the Chinese government claims that defendants’ “legal rights are protected” in response to outside criticism, international attention to Zhang Zhan’s case is rising once again. Human rights groups and Western diplomatic missions are calling on Beijing to immediately release Zhang Zhan and cease its suppression of independent voices.
Reported by Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid
