A Chinese journalist who reported on the spread of the corona virus in the metropolis of Wuhan has been sentenced to four years in prison.
The verdict against 37-year-old Zhang Zhan came at a brief court hearing on Monday (local time) in Shanghai, according to one of her lawyers.
According to court documents, the woman had been accused of “stirring up disputes and causing unrest” with her reports. The journalist had reported critical of the authorities’ reaction to the new virus.
Police tried to prevent journalists from reporting on the trialPhoto: AFP
Zhang was arrested in May. According to her lawyers, her health is “extremely bad”. The journalist went on a hunger strike in June and was force-fed.
In Wuhan, the corona virus was first detected in humans at the end of last year. Within a few weeks it spread massively in the metropolis. Then on January 23, Wuhan was cordoned off by the authorities.
In the days that followed, the measure was extended to all of Hubei Province, which is Wuhan. From China, the virus spread around the world.
In China itself, however, the virus has largely been pushed back by the rigorous isolation and quarantine measures. The country’s leadership has been hailing its fight against the virus as a great success story for months.