On September 19, 2025, Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan was sentenced to an additional four years in prison, reigniting international outrage over press freedom in China and the government’s handling of dissenting voices. Zhang, 42, is no stranger to the world’s headlines. Her reporting from Wuhan at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought her into direct conflict with Chinese authorities, and her unwavering commitment to documenting the truth has come at a steep personal cost.
Zhang’s story first caught global attention in 2020, when she traveled to Wuhan after hearing reports of a mysterious illness sweeping the city. As Reuters reported, she documented scenes of overcrowded hospitals, exhausted medical workers, and crematoriums operating around the clock. Her videos and posts painted a starkly different picture from the official narrative promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, which downplayed the severity of the outbreak in its early days.
That same year, Zhang was arrested and charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," a vague accusation frequently leveled against critics of the government. In December 2020, she was sentenced to four years in prison. During her detention, Zhang began a hunger strike to protest her treatment and the charges against her. According to her lawyers, her hands were tied and she was forcibly fed through a tube, a practice that left her health severely compromised. "She believed she was being persecuted for exercising her freedom of speech," her lawyer Ren Quanniu told Reporters Without Borders.
After serving her full sentence, Zhang was released in May 2024. But her freedom was short-lived. Just three months later, she was arrested again—this time for publicly sharing on social media about the persecution of civil rights defenders and activists. She was placed in Shanghai’s Pudong Detention Center, where, once again, she began a hunger strike in protest. The authorities responded as before, force-feeding her through a tube. The cumulative toll of two hunger strikes, combined with the stress of repeated imprisonment, has left Zhang’s health in a precarious state.
On September 19, 2025, Zhang was sentenced to a further four years in prison. The details of her trial remain shrouded in secrecy. Diplomats were reportedly barred from the courtroom, and the specific activities for which Zhang was charged have never been publicly disclosed, according to Reuters. Human rights advocacy manager Aleksandra Bielakowska wrote on X, "She was 1st jailed for reporting on COVID-19, then re-arrested for covering rights abuses."
The opacity surrounding Zhang’s case has drawn sharp condemnation from press freedom organizations and rights advocates worldwide. Reporters Without Borders, which awarded Zhang the 2021 Press Freedom Award, has been especially vocal. "Zhang Zhan should be commended for warning the international community about the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, she continues to face repression by the Chinese regime and fights for her freedom and survival in prison. After four years of unjust imprisonment she now risks not completing her second imprisonment. The international diplomatic community, like never before, must pressure Beijing to secure her immediate release," the organization stated.
Antoine Bernard, Director of Advocacy and Assistance at Reporters Without Borders, echoed this call: "Her ordeal and persecution must end. It is more urgent than ever for the international diplomatic community to pressure Beijing for her immediate release." Aleksandra Bielakowska, Asia-Pacific director for Reporters Without Borders, added, "She should be celebrated globally as a 'heroine of information,' not trapped in brutal prison conditions."
Zhang’s plight is emblematic of the broader crackdown on independent journalism and dissent in China. According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 124 journalists are currently imprisoned in the country. China ranks 172nd out of 180 in the organization’s 2025 press freedom index, underscoring the hostile environment faced by those who dare to challenge the official line.
The charge of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble"—the same one used against Zhang in both her 2020 and 2025 sentences—has become a catch-all accusation for silencing critics, activists, and whistleblowers. The lack of transparency in such cases, with court proceedings often closed to the public and details kept secret, has made it nearly impossible for defendants like Zhang to receive fair treatment or for the international community to scrutinize the legal process.
Despite the risks, Zhang’s commitment to truth-telling has not wavered. Her firsthand accounts from Wuhan contradicted official statements and provided the world with a rare glimpse into the reality of the pandemic’s early days in China. Her subsequent reporting on the persecution of civil rights defenders continued to shine a light on issues the government would prefer to keep in the dark.
Zhang’s supporters argue that her courage and resilience in the face of repression make her a symbol of resistance for journalists and activists everywhere. Her case has galvanized calls for greater international pressure on Beijing, with advocates urging governments and international organizations to speak out more forcefully on her behalf. "It is more urgent than ever for the international diplomatic community to pressure Beijing to release her immediately," Bielakowska insisted.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has remained silent on the specifics of Zhang’s case. The charges against her have never been publicly detailed, and official statements have been sparse. The authorities’ refusal to allow diplomats or independent observers into her trials only adds to the sense of injustice and opacity that has defined her ordeal.
While Zhang languishes in prison, the broader context of press freedom in China remains bleak. Journalists who report on sensitive topics—whether public health crises, human rights abuses, or political dissent—continue to face harassment, surveillance, and imprisonment. The international community has repeatedly condemned these practices, but meaningful change remains elusive.
Zhang Zhan’s story is a stark reminder of the high price paid by those who dare to speak truth to power. Her courage has inspired many, but it has also made her a target. As calls for her release grow louder, her fate hangs in the balance—a testament to both the enduring strength of the human spirit and the formidable challenges faced by journalists in China today.
For now, Zhang remains behind bars, her health fragile, her resolve unbroken, and her story a rallying cry for press freedom advocates worldwide.