China sentences coronavirus whistleblower to four years in prison
By Wire Report article
A car follows a funeral caravan with poster of Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist who criticized the Chinese government s handling of the coronavirus crisis. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a former lawyer who reported on the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak to four years in prison on charges of picking fights and provoking trouble, one of her lawyers said.
The Pudong New Area People’s Court in the financial hub of Shanghai gave the sentence to Zhang Zhan following accusations she spread false information, gave interviews to foreign media, disrupted public order and maliciously manipulated the outbreak.