CPJ urges China to release journalist Zhang Zhan after second conviction

Editor’s note: Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison on September 19 for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” according to media reports and sources who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. The headline and first paragraph of this alert have been updated to reflect the sentencing.

New York, September 19, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces the decision by Chinese authorities to proceed with the trial of freelance journalist Zhang Zhan and keep her in prison, a move that underscores the country’s reputation as the world’s worst jailer of journalists.

Zhang, who has been detained for more than a year, was due to appear before the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court at 9 a.m. on September 19, according to multiple news reports.

French public broadcaster Radio France Internationale said proceedings began on Friday, while news agency Agence France-Presse reported that Chinese officials turned away diplomats who had gathered to observe the trial, on the grounds their paperwork was not in order.

CPJ attempted to contact officials, Zhang’s supporters, and a local activist group, but could not independently confirm whether the trial took place.

Zhang, 42, faces charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Prosecutors have accused the freelance journalist of spreading “false information that seriously damaged the national image on X and YouTube,” and recommended a prison term of up to five years.

“This is the second time Zhang Zhan has faced trial on baseless charges that amount to nothing more than a blatant act of persecution for her journalism work,” said CPJ Regional Director Beh Lih Yi. “Chinese authorities must put an end to the arbitrary detention of Zhang, drop all charges, and free her immediately.”

Zhang was arrested in August 2024, not long after launching a YouTube channel where she reported stories ranging from a live-streamed interview with Liu Dongbao, who petitioned officials to investigate his treatment while in detention, to documentation of living conditions in China.

Her arrest came just three months after finishing a four-year prison sentence for her coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, which included interviews with local business owners impacted by the pandemic, and with workers who struggled to find employment in the city.

In May, CPJ joined 58 other organizations in issuing a joint statement demanding Zhang’s immediate release and condemning the Chinese government for her continued arbitrary detention.

China was the world’s worst jailer of journalists with 52 behind bars as of December 1, 2024, according to CPJ’s research.

The Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau did not respond to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.