Concerns grow for Chinese citizen journalist after supposed jail release

Zhang Zhan, jailed for reporting on Covid in Wuhan, has made no contact with outside world

Concerns are growing about the wellbeing of one of China’s most prominent citizen journalists after she has failed to make contact with the outside world after she was supposed to be released from prison.

Zhang Zhan, 40, a lawyer turned citizen journalist, was detained in May 2020 after she travelled to Wuhan to report on the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her videos and social media posts drew attention to the government’s stifling of information about the spread of the disease and the harsh lockdowns that were being imposed.