Joint Open Letter | An Open Letter to Xi Jinping Calling for the Release of Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan

President Xi Jinping
People's Republic of China
General Office of the State Council
2 Fuyou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Postal Code 100017
Paris, September 17, 2021

President Xi:
 
As a group of nongovernmental organizations defending human rights and press freedom, we collectively urge you to exonerate and release Zhang Zhan. Zhang is a human rights defender, journalist, and former lawyer whose health is critically deteriorating and who may die soon if she remains in detention.

In February 2020, Zhang and several other Chinese journalists traveled to Wuhan to report on the COVID-19 outbreak. Her reporting helped inform the public about the public-health crisis and was consistent with the principle of press freedom expressly protected by Article 35 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China.
On December 28, 2020, the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court sentenced Zhang to four years' imprisonment for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" after a hearing lasting only three hours and falling short of international fair-trial standards.

The indictment accused Zhang, without presenting evidence, of publishing large amounts of "false information" and criticized her for accepting interviews with overseas media-conduct that is not inherently wrongful. Zhang did not plead guilty and went on hunger strike to assert her innocence, causing her health to deteriorate.

Zhang has lost substantial weight in recent weeks and is now seriously ill. She was hospitalized for 11 days in early August and then returned to prison; without immediate release, her condition may become fatal. She has also been subjected to ill-treatment in detention, contrary to the United Nations Convention against Torture, which China ratified in 1988.

On grounds of basic human dignity, we appeal to you to give Zhang Zhan the opportunity to reunite with her parents. President Xi, we urge you to exercise the power granted by Article 80 of the Chinese Constitution and ensure her release before it is too late.

Reporters Without Borders
Sincerely,

Signatory Organizations

Reporters Without Borders
Article 19
Amnesty International
Association of Taiwan Journalists
Association of the New School for Democracy
Centre for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia
China Aid Association
China Change
China Political Prisoner Concern
Chinese Democracy Education Foundation
Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Consumer Foundation, Mongolia
CSW, UK
FIDH, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Freedom House
Front Line Defenders
Globe International Center, Mongolia
Government Citizen Partnership, Mongolia
Humanitarian China
Human Rights in China (HRIC)
Human Rights Now
Human Rights Foundation
IFEX
Index on Censorship
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Judicial Reform Foundation
LGBT Centre, Mongolia
Mongolian Men's Union
Mongolian Women's Employment Support Federation
PEN International
Safeguard Defenders
Steps Without Borders, Mongolia
Taiwan Forever Association
Taiwan Media Watch Foundation
Taiwan Media Workers Union
Tuva Women's AVAM Union, Mongolia
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ)
The Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club
The Rights Practice
Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP)
Women for Change NGO, Mongolia
Women's Rights in China
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Copy to:
Li Zhanshu
Chairman
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
People's Republic of China
National People's Congress Office Building, 1 West Qianmen Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing
Postal Code 100013

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Mr. Xi Jinping
State Chairman
People's Republic of China
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijing 100017
Paris, 17 September 2021

Mr. Chairman, 

As a collective of non-governmental organisations defending human rights and freedom of the press, we urge you to exonerate and release human rights defender, journalist, and former lawyer Zhang Zhan, who is suffering from a critical health condition and may die soon if she remains in detention. 

In February 2020, Zhang was among several Chinese journalists who travelled to the city of Wuhan to report on the first days of the coronavirus pandemic. Zhang Zhan has done remarkable work in informing the public about the health crisis, in accordance with the principle of press freedom enshrined in Article 35 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. 

On 28 December 2020, Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison by Shanghai Pudong New Area Court on the charge of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' following a mere three-hour proceeding that did not meet international fair trial standards. 

In her indictment, prosecutors accused her, without providing any evidence, of publishing large amounts of 'fake information' and reproached her for accepting interviews from overseas media outlets, which is in no way a reprehensible action. Zhang Zhan has not pleaded guilty to any alleged crimes and demonstrated her innocence through a hunger strike which has led to the deterioration of her health. 

Zhang Zhan has lost significant weight in recent weeks and is now seriously ill. Zhang Zhan was hospitalised for 11 days in early August but has since been returned to prison, where she may die if not immediately released. Zhang Zhan has also been the victim of ill treatment, which clearly goes against the United Nations Convention against Torture that China ratified in 1988. 

On the grounds of basic human dignity, we appeal to you, Mr. Chairman, to grant Zhang Zhan the opportunity to meet her parents again by exercising the power granted to you by Article 80 of the Chinese Constitution and ensuring that she is released before it is too late.  

Yours sincerely,

Signatories: 
Amnesty International
Article 19
Association of Taiwan Journalists
Association of the New School for Democracy
Centre for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia
China Aid Association
China Change
China Political Prisoner Concern 
Chinese Democracy Education Foundation
Chinese Human Rights Defenders  (CHRD)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Consumer Foundation, Mongolia
CSW, UK
FIDH, within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Freedom House 
Front Line Defenders
Globe International Center, Mongolia
Government Citizen Partnership, Mongolia
Humanitarian China
Human Rights in China (HRIC)
Human Rights Now
Human Rights Foundation
IFEX
Index on Censorship
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Judicial Reform Foundation
LGBT Centre, Mongolia
Mongolian Men's Union
Mongolian Women's Employment Support Federation
PEN International
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Safeguard Defenders
Steps Without Borders, Mongolia
Taiwan Forever Association
Taiwan Media Watch Foundation
Taiwan Media Workers Union
Tuva Women's AVAM Union, Mongolia
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ)
The Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club
The Rights Practice
Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP)
Women for Change NGO, Mongolia
Women's Rights in China 
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Copy to:
Li Zhanshu
Chairman
People's Republic of China
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
1 Qian Men Xi Da Jie
Xicheng District, Beijing 100013