Medium-sized decision was made in the long run after covering the first spread of Corona
“The charges of public turmoil are applied to silence critical personnel”
viewer
A Chinese court sentenced a citizen reporter to a four-year prison sentence earlier this year for covering the situation in Wuhan, Hubei Province, where the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) first spread.
The Shanghai Pudong New District People’s Court decided on a medium sentence for Zhang Zan, 37, a citizen reporter accused of “public turmoil”, reported by Bloomberg and dpa news agency, citing Jang’s lawyer.
It is reported that this is the first time a court ruling has been issued on a related case, while many citizen reporters who have reported on the situation of Corona 19 in Wuhan such as Chen Chus and Fang Bin are in detention and disappearance.
Dpa explains that the charges of public turmoil applied to Zhang Zan have a maximum sentence of five years, and are mainly applied when Chinese authorities try to silence critics. Jang Jang, who is also a former lawyer, covered the Wuhan area in February and criticized the authorities for blocking the city without revealing enough information to residents.
He also uploaded videos of patients wearing oxygen masks lined up in hospital corridors and crematoriums full of people. Jang Jang hasn’t posted any posts since May, and Chinese authorities have since revealed that Jang Jan has been detained for disseminating false information.
Jang Jan’s lawyer was controversial earlier this month, when Jang Jan, who was in custody, started a hunger strike, and authorities inserted a tube up to the stomach and forcibly supplied nutrients. After the sentence, the lawyer said, “It seemed that Jang Jan was in great shock. (Last week) At the time of the interview, he said that if he was sentenced to a medium sentence, he would fast until the end.” Earlier this month, the lawyer revealed that the correctional authorities forcibly supplied liquid food. The lawyer said, “At the time of the visit, Jang Jan was wearing a thick pajama and a large belt was fastened around his waist. Also, the left hand was fixed in front of the body and the right hand was fixed behind the body.” Both hands were fixed in front of and behind the body in order to prevent removal of the inserted tube. Jang-jan complained that he was suffering from inflammation of his mouth and throat along with headache, abdominal pain, and dizziness.
Jang Jang began a hunger strike in September to claim innocence and protest detention. It is reported that the authorities disregarded their intention to continue fasting and inserted liquid food into the stomach by inserting a tube into the stomach, and for the past three months to live in shackles and handcuffs. Jang Jang entered Wuhan in February and reported on local issues such as harassment of the bereaved family of the Corona 19 dead, and reported it online.
The AFP news agency added that Chinese authorities routinely judge critical figures between Christmas and New Year to avoid Western snow, and that World Health Organization (WHO) experts will visit China early next year to investigate the origins of Corona 19.
viewer
Chinese authorities are also threatening foreign media coverage. On the 7th, Chinese security personnel in plain clothes arrested Hayes Pan, a Bloomberg employee who was staying at home, according to Reuters. Pan, a Chinese national, has been working for Bloomberg since 2017 and is accused of engaging in criminal activities that could threaten national security. The Chinese authorities said, “Phan is fully guaranteed his rightful rights, and his family knows that he has been (detained).” “We are very worried about the condition of the plate,” Bloomberg said. “We are doing everything we can to help him with additional information.”
China is putting more and more pressure on reporters working in foreign media. China canceled and expelled reporters from dozens of reporters from US media after deteriorating relations with the US this year. Chinese-Australian anchor, Cheong Lei, who worked for CGTN, an English broadcaster on CCTV, was detained in August for harming national security. In September, two Australian correspondents in China were notified by the Chinese police that they could not leave the country until they were investigated related to national security, and were able to leave China with the help of the Australian government.
/ Reporter Kihyuk Kim [email protected]
< 저작권자 ⓒ 서울경제, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지 >