Zhang Zhan (born September 2, 1983) is a citizen journalist from Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, China. She studied at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, earning a bachelor's degree in insurance and a master's degree in finance. In 2010, she moved to Shanghai as part of a talent introduction program and worked as a lawyer. However, her legal practice license was revoked due to her involvement in rights protection activities and participation in a petition to amend the lawyer management regulations. In 2015, she was baptized and became a Christian.
In August 2018, Zhang Zhan was warned by the Hongkou District Police in Shanghai for her online remarks, suspected of "inciting subversion of state power." On April 19, 2019, she was detained for 10 days by the Pudong District Police in Shanghai on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
Since the outbreak of the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill movement in 2019, Zhang Zhan actively shared videos and information about the protests and used performance art to show solidarity with Hong Kong. On September 8, 2019, she participated in a demonstration on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, holding an umbrella with the words "End socialism, The Chinese Communist Party step down" written on it, to support the Hong Kong protests. She was detained for 65 days by the Shanghai police on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
In February 2020, Zhang Zhan traveled to Wuhan to report on the COVID-19 outbreak, documenting the early challenges faced by residents and the government's response. She published 122 videos on her YouTube channel, providing a real-time account of the situation in Wuhan.
On May 14, 2020, Zhang Zhan was arrested by Shanghai police in Wuhan and detained on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." She was held in the Pudong New Area Detention Center. On June 18, 2020, she was formally arrested. In December 2020, the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court sentenced her to four years in prison. During her detention, Zhang Zhan chose not to appeal and refused to eat, continuing her protest.
Three days before Zhang Zhan's sentencing, on Christmas Eve 2020, scholar and documentary director Ai Xiaoming wrote an article titled "The Madman's Diary in the Age of the Pandemic—About Zhang Zhan." Professor Ai stated, "I have read Zhang Zhan's writings and have always been concerned about her situation. If Zhang Zhan is wrong, I can only say that she was born in the wrong era. She is not a person of the present but a person of the future—she lives the way future Chinese should live: laughing, cursing, daring to love and hate."
On July 31, 2021, due to severe malnutrition from her hunger strike, Zhang Zhan's weight dropped to below 40 kilograms. She was subjected to forced feeding, shackling, and 24-hour restraints. The One Free Press Coalition ranked her situation as the most urgent press freedom case globally. On November 19, 2021, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for her immediate release.
On May 13, 2024, Zhang Zhan was released after serving her sentence. However, her whereabouts were initially unknown, raising concerns. On May 21, 2024, she confirmed her release and reunion with her family through a video. Reports indicated that her freedom might be restricted, and she could be under strict surveillance by the authorities. In August 2024, Zhang Zhan disappeared again and was detained in a detention center in Shanghai on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
Zhang Zhan's long-standing activism and hunger strikes have attracted widespread international attention. She has received several international awards, including the 2021 Brussels Free University Freedom of Speech Honorary Award, the 2021 21st Youth China Human Rights Award, the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award", and the 21st Youth China Human Rights Award. On November 18, 2021, she received the Courage Award from Reporters Without Borders.
Despite enduring extreme physical and mental pressures, she has consistently upheld her stance. In <a href=”https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-55473938”>an interview with the BBC</a>, she stated, "I cannot retreat because this country cannot regress."
