A Chinese citizen journalist was jailed Monday for four years for her live stream reporting from Wuhan as the Covid-19 outbreak unfurled, her lawyer said, almost a year after the virus first surfaced in Wuhan.
Ren Quanniu, one of her defence lawyers said, 37-year-old Zhang Zhan was sentenced after a brief hearing in Shanghai. Her essays and live reports were widely shared on social media platforms in February. Her articles grabbed the attention of authorities, who have punished eight virus whistleblowers so far as they defang criticism of the government's response to the outbreak.
Many supporters and diplomats gathered outside Shanghai Pudong New District People's Court on Monday morning, but police pushed journalists and observers away from the entrance as the defendant and her lawyer arrived.
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