Pompeo: "Chinese Citizen Journalist Who Exposed COVID Cover-up Must Be Released"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, demanded the release of a citizen journalist who was sentenced to prison for reporting on the Chinese government’s concealment of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China.

Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan [Photo by Reuters]

On the 29th (local time), Secretary Pompeo issued a statement calling the prosecution of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan by Chinese authorities baseless and urged for her immediate and unconditional release.

Secretary Pompeo said, "The Chinese Communist Party has once again shown that it will do anything to silence those who question the Party’s official line, even regarding critical public health information."

On the 28th, a Chinese court sentenced Zhang Zhan, who reported on the situation in Wuhan, Hubei Province, where COVID-19 first spread, to four years in prison on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."

Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, covered the Wuhan area in February, criticizing the actions of Chinese authorities and posted videos showing patients wearing oxygen masks lined up in hospital corridors and crematoriums crowded with people.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.