Chinese whistleblower- Fang Bin- who documented the initial Covid outbreak in China's Wuhan, has been freed from jail after three years, BBC reported. The citizen journalist was reported to be jailed after he shared videos of scenes in Wuhan- the epicentre of Covid pandemic. He disappeared in February 2020 and was sentenced to three years in jail at a secret trial in Wuhan, the report claimed.
He was released and is in good health, it added.
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The video which resulted in his arrest showed eight body bags outside a Covid hospital in just five minutes. He was the detained but later released.- Later, a video with the message from him came out.
“All people revolt - hand the power of the government back to the people,” he had urged, leading to his arrest again. Another whistleblower - Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was detained in May 2020 and jailed for four years in December 2020.
She was convicted for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", according to activists. "Maybe I have a rebellious soul... I'm just documenting the truth. Why can't I show the truth?" Zhang Zhan said in an interview.
{{/usCountry}}She was convicted for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", according to activists. "Maybe I have a rebellious soul... I'm just documenting the truth. Why can't I show the truth?" Zhang Zhan said in an interview.
{{/usCountry}}Two other citizen reporters Chen Qiushi and Li Zehua also disappeared in Wuhan in February 2020. Although they surfaced months later.
Videos by the citizen journalists offered glimpse into Wuhan in the early months of 2020 while Covid cases were climbing and lockdowns had come into force. Wuhan's 76-day lockdown put the city under severe strain.