Zhang Zhan’s condition remains worrying

Image of Zhang Zhan who is a christian journalist who is currently in prison for her journalistic piece criticizing China's response to COVID-19.
Photo: Zhang Zhan (ChinaAid source)

(Shanghai) The mental state of Zhang Zhan, a Christian citizen journalist, imprisoned in Shanghai, seems to be improving, but the situation is still not optimistic. According to some reports, she has not returned to her normal weight.

According to rights activist Li Dawei from Gansu province, who is familiar with Zhang Zhan, he spoke on the phone with Mrs. Shao Wenxia, Zhang Zhan’s mother on December 9. Li Dawei revealed that Zhang Zhan’s mother had an operation in September this year and is still recuperating. After the surgery, she has had four times of chemotherapy, and her mental state is fine.

Zhang Zhan’s mother spoke with her daughter once through video chat in August before the operation. Judging from the situation at the time, Zhang Zhan’s condition was still not very good; she weighed around 90 pounds, gaining very little weight after ending her hunger strike in February. Zhang Zhan’s mother kept in touch with Zhang Zhan once a month after the operation, and the duration of each call should not exceed 10 minutes, and the shortest time was only 5 minutes. The calls were mostly Zhang Zhan greeting her and caring for her mother. Zhang Zhan’s mother does not get the chance to interject into the conversation. Therefore, it is difficult to know the details of Zhang Zhan’s current situation.

Li Dawei said Zhang Zhan often writes to her mother; from the letters, Zhang Zhan’s mood has improved; every time Zhang Zhan writes home, the envelopes are full of her drawings, and there are landscapes, flowers, plants, and little animals. One of the drawings was full of groups of penguins. The penguins represent her longing for her mother, and each penguin represents each time she missed her mother.

Zhang’s mother went to Shanghai Women’s Prison and met Zhang Zhan via video chat on January 28, 2022. Zhang’s health seemed to have improved significantly, and she began to eat on her own. Due to a long-term hunger strike, Zhang Zhan suffered stomach pains, but at the time of the call, she was able to walk without the help of others and was willing to do some handicrafts in prison.

Zhang Zhan is a Christian who traveled to Wuhan, Hubei Province as a citizen reporter in February 2020 to report on the COVID-19 outbreak. Back then, China was deliberately downplaying the spread of the virus and punished whistleblowers early in its response to the outbreak. Under the direct command of leader Xi Jinping, officials deliberately boasted that the outbreak was under control.

Zhang Zhan, then 38 years old, was one of the few citizen journalists who ventured to Wuhan, to the hospital, where she filmed corridors packed with hospital beds and also went to the crematorium. She interviewed the few people that were on the street, asking them about their worries regarding livelihood and what they thought of the government’s response. She used social media to successfully expose how Wuhan government officials jailed independent journalists and harassed the families of people diagnosed with COVID. In the same year, Zhang Zhan was detained in Shanghai after being taken away by Chinese authorities in May, charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and later sentenced to four years in prison.

After being imprisoned, Zhang Zhan expressed strong protest and went on a hunger strike in prison. The authorities once forcibly intubated and fed her through a nasogastric tube. Both of her hands were tied up. Zhang Zhan used to suffer from severe malnutrition, and her weight dropped significantly; she needed help from others to walk, and she couldn’t even raise her head. Her health was in critical condition, and she was hospitalized urgently. Zhang Zhan’s family continued to apply to the prison for release on medical parole, but to no avail.

The United States, the European Union, Germany, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and many non-governmental organizations and media have supported Zhang Zhan and called on China to release her unconditionally. The Delegation of the European Union to China issued a statement on International Human Rights Day this year (December 10), calling on the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience and specifically asked China to release Zhang Zhan immediately.

In great recognition of Zhang Zhan’s pure heart and determination, ChinaAid Association awarded her the 2021 Lin Zhao Freedom Award.

~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid

News
Read more ChinaAid stories
Click Here
Write
Send encouraging letters to prisoners
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

Send your support

Fight for religious freedom in China

Zhang Zhan’s condition remains worrying

Image of Zhang Zhan who is a christian journalist who is currently in prison for her journalistic piece criticizing China's response to COVID-19.
Photo: Zhang Zhan (ChinaAid source)

(Shanghai) The mental state of Zhang Zhan, a Christian citizen journalist, imprisoned in Shanghai, seems to be improving, but the situation is still not optimistic. According to some reports, she has not returned to her normal weight.

According to rights activist Li Dawei from Gansu province, who is familiar with Zhang Zhan, he spoke on the phone with Mrs. Shao Wenxia, Zhang Zhan’s mother on December 9. Li Dawei revealed that Zhang Zhan’s mother had an operation in September this year and is still recuperating. After the surgery, she has had four times of chemotherapy, and her mental state is fine.

Zhang Zhan’s mother spoke with her daughter once through video chat in August before the operation. Judging from the situation at the time, Zhang Zhan’s condition was still not very good; she weighed around 90 pounds, gaining very little weight after ending her hunger strike in February. Zhang Zhan’s mother kept in touch with Zhang Zhan once a month after the operation, and the duration of each call should not exceed 10 minutes, and the shortest time was only 5 minutes. The calls were mostly Zhang Zhan greeting her and caring for her mother. Zhang Zhan’s mother does not get the chance to interject into the conversation. Therefore, it is difficult to know the details of Zhang Zhan’s current situation.

Li Dawei said Zhang Zhan often writes to her mother; from the letters, Zhang Zhan’s mood has improved; every time Zhang Zhan writes home, the envelopes are full of her drawings, and there are landscapes, flowers, plants, and little animals. One of the drawings was full of groups of penguins. The penguins represent her longing for her mother, and each penguin represents each time she missed her mother.

Zhang’s mother went to Shanghai Women’s Prison and met Zhang Zhan via video chat on January 28, 2022. Zhang’s health seemed to have improved significantly, and she began to eat on her own. Due to a long-term hunger strike, Zhang Zhan suffered stomach pains, but at the time of the call, she was able to walk without the help of others and was willing to do some handicrafts in prison.

Zhang Zhan is a Christian who traveled to Wuhan, Hubei Province as a citizen reporter in February 2020 to report on the COVID-19 outbreak. Back then, China was deliberately downplaying the spread of the virus and punished whistleblowers early in its response to the outbreak. Under the direct command of leader Xi Jinping, officials deliberately boasted that the outbreak was under control.

Zhang Zhan, then 38 years old, was one of the few citizen journalists who ventured to Wuhan, to the hospital, where she filmed corridors packed with hospital beds and also went to the crematorium. She interviewed the few people that were on the street, asking them about their worries regarding livelihood and what they thought of the government’s response. She used social media to successfully expose how Wuhan government officials jailed independent journalists and harassed the families of people diagnosed with COVID. In the same year, Zhang Zhan was detained in Shanghai after being taken away by Chinese authorities in May, charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and later sentenced to four years in prison.

After being imprisoned, Zhang Zhan expressed strong protest and went on a hunger strike in prison. The authorities once forcibly intubated and fed her through a nasogastric tube. Both of her hands were tied up. Zhang Zhan used to suffer from severe malnutrition, and her weight dropped significantly; she needed help from others to walk, and she couldn’t even raise her head. Her health was in critical condition, and she was hospitalized urgently. Zhang Zhan’s family continued to apply to the prison for release on medical parole, but to no avail.

The United States, the European Union, Germany, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and many non-governmental organizations and media have supported Zhang Zhan and called on China to release her unconditionally. The Delegation of the European Union to China issued a statement on International Human Rights Day this year (December 10), calling on the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience and specifically asked China to release Zhang Zhan immediately.

In great recognition of Zhang Zhan’s pure heart and determination, ChinaAid Association awarded her the 2021 Lin Zhao Freedom Award.

~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid

News
Read more ChinaAid stories
Click Here
Write
Send encouraging letters to prisoners
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

Send your support

Fight for religious freedom in China

Scroll to Top