China Slams UN For "Irresponsible" Comments On Jailed Citizen Journalist
NDTV
Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist and former lawyer, travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the chaos at the pandemic's epicentre, questioning the authorities' handling of the outbreak in her smartphone videos.
China on Saturday harshly criticised the United Nations over comments demanding the release of a citizen journalist jailed for her coverage of the country's COVID-19 response.
The Chinese mission in Geneva voiced outrage at the "irresponsible" and "erroneous" comments made by the United Nations human rights office OHCHR on Friday in the case of Zhang Zhan.
OHCHR spokeswoman Marta Hurtado on Friday voiced alarm at reports that the 38-year-old's health was deteriorating rapidly and that her life was at serious risk from the hunger strike in detention.
"We call on the Chinese authorities to consider Zhang's immediate and unconditional release, at the very least, on humanitarian grounds, and to make urgent life-saving medical care available, respecting both her will and her dignity," Hurtado said in a statement.
