"At Risk of Death in Prison," "Many Untold Stories"... Current Status of Chinese Citizen Journalists Exposing 'Wuhan Corona'

Citizen reporters Jang Jan (38) and Chen Chusu (35), who directly covered the COVID-19 situation in Wuhan, China, early last year, have recently shared updates on their current status. [Photo by The Guardian, YouTube capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The current status of citizen journalists who directly reported on the COVID-19 situation in Wuhan, China, in early last year is being revealed.

On the 5th (local time), according to the British Guardian, there are suspicions that citizen journalist Zhang Zhan (38), a former local lawyer, is facing a life-threatening situation.

Zhang Zhan reported on the spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan in February last year. She criticized the authorities for not disclosing sufficient information to residents and for locking down the city.

Later, in December last year, the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court sentenced Zhang Zhan to four years in prison on charges of causing a public disturbance. Zhang has been protesting her arbitrary detention and court ruling by staging a hunger strike inside prison.

Zhang’s older brother, Zhang Zhu, shared news about his sister on social media on the 30th of last month. Zhang Zhu said, "My sister, who is on a hunger strike, is currently being force-fed nutrients through a tube," adding, "She may not survive the upcoming cold winter."

He also stated, "Although my sister is 177cm tall, her weight is less than 40kg."

In this regard, Amnesty International, the world's largest human rights organization, has demanded Zhang Zhan's immediate release. Amnesty International said, "Zhang Zhan is at risk of losing her life," and "She must end her hunger strike and receive proper medical treatment."

They added, "Zhang Zhan, who should never have been imprisoned in the first place, is now at risk of dying in prison."

Meanwhile, another citizen journalist who disappeared while reporting on the COVID-19 situation in Wuhan earlier has recently shared an update after about 600 days.

On the 1st of last month (local time), the U.S. Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese citizen journalist Chen Qiusu (35), a former local lawyer, recently appeared on the YouTube channel of his friend and mixed martial artist Xu Xiaodong.

In the video, Chen Qiusu said, "I have experienced a lot over the past 1 year and 8 months," adding, "There are things I can say, and things I cannot say." He further said, "I believe you will understand."

Previously, in January last year, Chen Qiusu entered Wuhan, the frontline of the COVID-19 outbreak, and vividly reported the situation on-site to the world.

At that time, Chen posted videos on social media showing hospitals in Wuhan. Through the videos, he revealed the poor conditions of the wards and secretly filmed at hospital funeral homes to highlight discrepancies between the actual death toll and the official figures announced by China.

He also appealed to the world for help, saying, "There are people dying without proper treatment. There is a shortage of masks and all medical supplies."

However, Chen Qiusu soon lost contact and disappeared without a trace. Later, his family only received notification from Chinese authorities that he was quarantined. News of his whereabouts, which had been unknown, resurfaced in the media in April.

At that time, Hong Kong's Ming Pao reported that Chen Qiusu, who had been detained by the authorities, was released and returned to his family after one year.

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