A woman who warned the world about COVID-19.
A woman who saved countless families.
A woman who ignited hope with righteousness.
Yet now, she has been cast into darkness.
She is Zhang Zhan.
When the Righteous Remain Silent, Disaster Follows
History has shown us that when evil spreads and good people remain silent, disaster is inevitable.
During Nazi Germany, many chose to stay silent, and in the end, everyone became victims.
Pastor Martin Niemöller once wrote his confession:
“First, they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Today, they persecute Zhang Zhan, and we remain silent—because we are not Zhang Zhan.
Tomorrow, they will persecute dissidents, and we will remain silent—because we are not dissidents.
The day after tomorrow, they will persecute Christians.
They will come for you and me, but by then, there will be no one left to speak out!
If even hearing the voice of justice makes us afraid, then silence will ultimately lead to the complete loss of justice.
In such a society, power can crush lives at will, and in the end, everyone will become a victim.
If righteousness prevails, the earth will be like heaven; if it does not, the world will become a living hell!
God has already warned us:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”(Isaiah 5:20)
God is using Zhang Zhan as a testimony of righteousness to the world!
Why Was She Persecuted?
In 2020, as COVID-19 spread, the Chinese government suppressed information, plunging countless families into fear and grief.
Zhang Zhan, a Christian sister, refused to remain silent.
At great risk, she went to Wuhan, despite police threats, and used her phone to send warning signals to the world.
- She captured footage of grieving families in hospital hallways and recorded dying patients on the streets.
- She exposed the government’s cover-up of the pandemic.
- Her reports alerted the world, allowing many countries to prepare in advance and saving countless families.
- She risked her life for others, demonstrating righteousness that glorified God and benefited many.
Yet, for this, she was cast into darkness.
What Suffering Did She Endure?
- On May 14, 2020, police arrested her.
- On December 28, 2020, she was sentenced to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
- In prison, she went on a hunger strike in protest but was forcibly fed, her weight dropping from 55kg (121 lbs) to less than 40kg (88 lbs).
- Authorities pried her mouth open with metal tools, forced a thick tube down her throat, and filled her stomach against her will.
- Her throat was torn, her stomach was bloated, and her body convulsed in pain, yet she did not give in.
She survived four years, her body shattered, but her faith remained unshaken.
Freed from One Prison, Thrown Into Another
- On May 13, 2024, Zhang Zhan was released, so weak she could barely walk.
- Yet, she learned that another Christian, Zhang Pan Cheng, had been imprisoned for exposing the Xinjiang concentration camps.
- Zhang Zhan stood up once again, traveled to Xi’an to help, and signed a legal agreement with a human rights lawyer!
- In September 2024, she was arrested again in Xi’an by Shanghai police—simply for assisting a house church Christian who spoke out against the Xinjiang camps!
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”(Proverbs 31:8)
- Her mother tried to rescue her but was threatened by police: “If you speak out again, face the consequences.”
- Even her friends and human rights lawyers were illegally detained and warned just for visiting her mother!
- Human rights lawyer Zhang revealed that prosecutors replaced her legal counsel with government-appointed lawyers and are trying to sentence her to another 4-5 years!
She has already survived near death, yet they refuse to let her go.
When society hides injustice under the name of “stability” and prosecutes truth under the charge of “picking quarrels,” the conscience of the people is being imprisoned by fear.
But God’s Truth Cannot Be Hidden!
“The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.” (1 John 3:7)
Today, in China, underground Christians and human rights lawyers are carrying their crosses, paying an enormous price.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”(Matthew 16:24)
When darkness falls, Zhang Zhan is a shining light who refuses to be silent.
She understands that the path of righteousness benefits all and is the path of the cross.
But now, this light of justice is dimming, nearly extinguished.
As beneficiaries of her courage, will we continue to remain silent?
God Calls Us to Action!
1. Let the World Know Her Name!
• Share her story on social media and raise awareness.
• Follow international human rights organizations and push mainstream media to report on her case.
2. Pressure Governments to Act!
• Urge the United Nations, the U.S., the European Parliament, and other international bodies to take action.
• Contact lawmakers and demand sanctions on Chinese officials under the Magnitsky Act.
3. Global Church Prayer Movement!
• Add Zhang Zhan to church prayer lists.
• Call on pastors and believers to pray together for justice to shine in the darkness.
“Do not let her fight alone! Share, pray, and act—let the world hear her name!”
(Submitted by ChinaAid reader and supporter Tony Tang)
