Rights experts urge release of journalist after reported second conviction News
立場新聞, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons
Rights experts urge release of journalist after reported second conviction

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Monday said reports that citizen journalist and former lawyer Zhang Zhan has been handed a second four-year prison term on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” are “deeply disturbing,” calling for her immediate and unconditional release.

“This is the second time Zhang has been convicted and subjected to a custodial sentence for this [offense],” OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said, noting due process concerns after independent observers were reportedly barred from the hearing. The UN rights chief has repeatedly urged China to repeal or place a moratorium on the offense, condemning its vague wording and expansive use against those exercising fundamental rights.

Zhang, 42, is believed to have stood trial in Shanghai on Friday and received a four-year sentence. The latest case is understood to stem from social media activity, though authorities have not publicly released details.

The new conviction comes 16 months after Zhang completed an earlier four-year term for the same offense. She was first detained in 2020 after traveling to Wuhan to document the initial COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown, posting video dispatches and interviews that challenged official narratives. During that imprisonment, she staged a prolonged hunger strike and was reportedly force-fed. Her lawyer and family described severe weight loss and deteriorating health.

Following her release in May 2024, Zhang was placed under close surveillance and, by August, was re-detained and indicted again for “picking quarrels,” with prosecutors reportedly citing posts that “seriously damaged the country’s image.” Diplomats seeking to observe proceedings in her recent case were turned away, according to reports.

Rights groups say Zhang’s case reflects a broader pattern. The offense of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” set out in Article 293 of China’s Criminal Code, uses open-ended terms such as “making a commotion” and “serious disorder,” enabling authorities to criminalize a wide range of peaceful speech. Since 2013, it has been applied expansively to online commentary, investigative reporting and civic activism.

International organizations renewed calls for Zhang’s release after the reported verdict. “Zhang’s baseless conviction should be quashed,” Amnesty International said, urging access to counsel, family contact and adequate medical care pending release.

The OHCHR stated that it has raised multiple cases with Chinese authorities involving journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders who were prosecuted for exercising their protected rights. It reiterated that China’s obligations under international law require laws restricting expression to be clear, necessary, and proportionate and not used to punish criticism or independent reporting.

Reporters Without Borders ranks China 178 of 180 in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index and claims that at least 100 media workers in the country are currently detained.

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