BEIJING (AP) — 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.
Lawyer Zhang Keke confirmed the sentence but said it was “inconvenient” to provide details — usually an indication that the court has issued a partial gag order. He said the court did not ask Zhang whether she would appeal, nor did she indicate whether she would.
Zhang, 37, traveled to Wuhan in February and posted on various social media platforms about the outbreak that is believed to have emerged in the central Chinese city late last year.
A pro-democracy activist holds placards with the picture of Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan outside the Chinese central government’s liaison office, in Hong Kong, Monday, Dec. 28, 2020. Zhang, a former lawyer and citizen journalist from Shanghai, has been sentenced to four years in prison for her reporting on the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. The activists demand the releases of Zhang, as well as the 12 Hong Kong activists detained at sea by Chinese authorities. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) 
In this photo taken April 11, 2020 and released by Melanie Wang, Zhang Zhan stand near scaffoldings outside a shop during a visit to Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. A Chinese court on Monday sentenced the 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. (Melanie Wang via AP) 
Pro-democracy activists, including Lee Cheuk-Yan, right, hold placards with the picture of Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan as they march to the Chinese central government’s liaison office, in Hong Kong, Monday, Dec. 28, 2020. Zhang, a former lawyer and citizen journalist from Shanghai, has been sentenced to four years in prison for her reporting on the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. The activists demanded the releases of Zhang, as well as the 12 Hong Kong activists detained at sea by Chinese authorities. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
She was arrested in May amid tough nationwide measures aimed at curbing the outbreak and heavy censorship to deflect criticism of the government’s initial response. Zhang reportedly went on a prolonged hunger strike while in detention, prompting authorities to forcibly feed her, and is said to be in poor health.
China has been accused of covering up the initial outbreak and delaying the release of crucial information, allowing the virus to spread and contributing to the pandemic that has sickened more than 80 million people worldwide and killed almost 1.8 million. Beijing vigorously denies the accusations, saying it took swift action that bought time for the rest of the world to prepare.
China’s ruling Communist Party tightly controls the media and seeks to block the dissemination of information it hasn’t approved for release. In the early days of the outbreak, authorities reprimanded several Wuhan doctors for “rumor-mongering” after they alerted friends on social media. The best known of the doctors, Li Wenliang, later succumbed to COVID-19.