China: fears for health of Christian activist in detention

Written by David Fletcher 15 Oct 2020
China: fears for health of Christian activist in detention

CSW has called on China to release Christian human rights defender and former lawyer Zhang Zhan, who is on a hunger strike, causing fears for her health, after 150 days in detention. She posted videos and articles from Wuhan about the Covid-19 outbreak. Social media platforms are blocked in China. She questioned whether the authorities' response to the epidemic infringed on human rights, and asked if the severity of the outbreak had been covered up. She was deeply concerned about the voiceless Wuhan citizens who face destitution after losing livelihoods. She is accused of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’ and refuses to plead guilty. Zhang’s lawyer met her for the first time in detention on 18 September and reported she was still on a hunger strike and had lost weight. Detention staff are force-feeding her as she refuses to eat or drink anything.

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  • Pray: for Zhang Zhan’s immediate, unconditional release. Also, pray for the government to allow activists, lawyers and journalists to exercise their rights to freedom of expression. (Proverbs 31:8-9)