(Shanghai — November 17, 2025) Amid a highly opaque judicial process, the case of Chinese journalist and citizen observer Zhang Zhan has once again shown unusual development. Her family and retained lawyer stated that a planned mid-November visit at the Pudong New Area Detention Center in Shanghai was denied. Local authorities claimed Zhang Zhan had already been “transferred for the execution of sentence” but did not reveal where she had been taken. The family said they have not received the written judgment nor any official notification.

In her second-instance hearing on September 19, Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Both the hearing and sentencing were completed on the same day. In late October, the family learned that she had filed an appeal, but they likewise never received any written documents.

The Visit Was Obstructed: Lawyer was Told “No Such Person Found”

On the afternoon of November 16, lawyer Gao Chengcai, retained by the family, attempted to make an online appointment at the Pudong New Area Detention Center. However, the system repeatedly displayed the message “No such person found.” Personnel posted at the gate informed him that he could register for an in-person visit on the mornings of working days.

At 8 a.m. on November 17, lawyer Gao was the first lawyer to register that day. After lining up at 9 a.m., he submitted the documents for the visit. However, after the officer on duty checked the computer, he was asked to wait temporarily.

Lawyer Gao said that about ten minutes later, two police officers approached and questioned him about “who delegated him” and “whether he knew Zhang Zhan.” He replied that the authorization documents were complete and that whether he personally knew the client had no bearing on his legal right to meet her. He asked the officers to show their identification documents, but they said they were “just asking casually, not engaged in the enforcement of law.”

At that moment, Zhang Zhan’s mother called lawyer Gao and said, “Do not proceed with the visit. Zhang Zhan is not there.” Shortly afterward, a female officer on duty told him that according to the registration information, Zhang Zhan had “already been transferred for the execution of sentence.” However, when he pressed for details, “When was it executed?” “Which court issued the transfer order?” The officer replied that because he was “not a family member, (therefore he had) no right to inquire.”

“One Month of Education”: The Location Where She was Held Remains Unknown

The family told the lawyer that they learned from police that so-called “ideology and political prisoners” are sent to another facility for a month of “education and training.” Zhang Zhan’s current location of detention is unknown and appears to be neither the detention center nor a prison.

Zhang Zhan’s mother said she was informed that her daughter had been sent to a place for “a month of education,” but she did not receive written documents or an official explanation.

Prosecutor’s Office Refuses to Accept Complaint

After being denied the visit, lawyer Gao called the on-duty prosecutor at the detention center to file a complaint. When he stated that the detention center had unlawfully refused a lawyer’s meeting with the defendant, the prosecutor responded that Zhang Zhan “has already been transferred for the execution of sentence and is not allowed a meeting.”

To date, Zhang Zhan’s family has still not received the court’s second-instance judgment, which is a necessary legal procedure before a sentence can be carried out.

Ongoing Controversy in the Zhang Zhan Case

Zhang Zhan was previously sentenced in 2020 for reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Her health and conditions of detention have long drawn public concern and attention. This second imprisonment, with its closed-door proceedings during the appeal and execution stages, has once again prompted her family, lawyer, and observers to question procedural justice and the lack of transparency when it comes to information.

As of publication, Shanghai’s relevant departments have not provided any public explanation regarding the claim that Zhang Zhan has been “transferred for execution of sentence.”