Chinese Woman Jailed for Reporting on Covid Set to be Freed

Zhang Zhan, a 40-year-old former lawyer, was expected to be released from prison on Monday after serving her four-year sentence for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", a charge often used in political cases. However, it remained unclear whether she had actually been set free or if she had completed her sentence at Shanghai's Women Prison. Zhang gained attention for traveling to Wuhan in February 2020 to document the Chinese government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared her reports on various social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and WeChat. In one video, Zhang described the city as "paralyzed" due to widespread lockdowns and censorship.