China has sharply criticized the United Nations for demanding the release of a jailed citizen journalist for covering the government's performance in the country's corona epidemic.
According to the French news agency AFP, the Chinese mission in Geneva on Saturday expressed outrage over the "irresponsible" and "incorrect" remarks made by the UN human rights office on Friday on Zhang Zhan's case. WhatMarta Hertado, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said on Friday she was concerned about reports that the 38-year-old journalist's health was deteriorating and that her life was in grave danger due to a hunger strike in custody.
"We urge the Chinese authorities to consider the immediate and unconditional release of Zhang, at least on humanitarian grounds, and to respect his will and dignity immediately," he said in a statement. Provide rescue medical aid.
Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, traveled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the chaos at the Infectious Diseases Center.
In his smartphone videos, he questioned the performance of authorities in dealing with the epidemic.
He was arrested in May 2020 and sentenced in December to four years in prison for "inciting strife and inciting trouble." This accusation was routinely used to suppress dissent.
Marta Hertado added that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has repeatedly expressed concern over Zhang's case with Chinese authorities since his arrest last year.
