Paris, March 31 (IANS) A leading international press freedom organisation on Tuesday strongly condemned the Chinese authorities for denying journalist Zhang Zhan access to legal counsel and isolating her from the outside world, urging the global community to intensify pressure on Beijing to end her persecution.

Citing information, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealed that following her second conviction in September 2025 on “trumped-up charges”, Zhan was denied access to a lawyer last week, obstructing her ability to appeal an “unjust verdict” with the support of independent legal counsel.

“We are outraged by the extent to which the Chinese authorities are seeking to intimidate and silence Zhang Zhan, an icon of press freedom in China. As if her arbitrary sentencing were not enough, they are now denying her the right to the legal counsel of her choosing, further undermining her ability to appeal. Zhang Zhan should be recognized as a courageous journalist who alerted the world to a deadly public health crisis, not imprisoned while her life remains at risk,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, Advocacy Manager, RSF Asia-Pacific.

“We call on the international community to intensify pressure on Beijing to end its persecution of Zhang Zhan, ensure her safety and access to adequate medical care, and secure her immediate release,” she added.

According to the RSF, Zhan was sentenced on September 19, 2025, to four years in prison on the fabricated charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” following a closed-door trial.

“At least diplomats from at least seven countries and five activists who attempted to observe the proceedings were barred from entering and, in some cases, briefly detained. Lawyers’ requests to meet with her have been systematically rejected since her second sentencing, and her legal representatives have faced ongoing harassment by the authorities,” the organisation stated.

Condemning Zhan’s sentencing, both the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Commission on September 21, 2025, called for her immediate and unconditional release.

The RSF highlighted that Zhan was detained on August 28, 2024, and is being held at Shanghai’s Pudong Detention Center, marking her second prison term.

She was first arrested in May 2020 for reporting from Wuhan during the Covid-19 outbreak, posting more than 100 videos online.

It noted that “China, the world’s biggest prison for journalists and press freedom defenders” with “at least 120 media workers currently behind bars,” is ranked 178th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

–IANS

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