2025	

	
Xi Jinping 
President of the People's Republic of China
Zhongnanhai, Xichangan'jie
Xichengqu, Beijing Shi 100017
VOLKSREPUBLIK CHINA		
E-Mail: english@mail.gov.cn 
Fax: 00 86 – 10 62 38 10 25		

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Dear President Xi,

I am writing to express my grave concern for citizen journalist Zhang Zhan (张展), who has been detained at Pudong New District Detention Centre since August 2024 and was formally charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" (寻衅滋事罪) in November. These charges are baseless.

As a citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan reported on the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan and also posted on social media about how government officials had detained independent reporters and harassed families of Covid-19 patients. She is reported to be continuing her hunger strike which she started in January this year, raising concerns about her health as she has had to be admitted to hospital numerous times in the past due to health complications following hunger strikes in detention.

Zhang Zhan is a prisoner of conscience detained solely for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression. 
As member / sympathizer of Amnesty International, I urge you to facilitate her immediate and unconditional release. In the meantime, please ensure family notification and access to a lawyer, and make sure authorities stop harassing and threatening her family, lawyer and other human rights defenders who are supporting this case.

Yours sincerely,		

	Cc:

Botschaft der Volksrepublik China
S. E. Herrn Hongbo Deng
Märkisches Ufer 54, 
10179 Berlin
		
Fax: 030 – 27 58 82 21
E-Mail: protokoll.botschaftchina@gmail.com  oder presse.botschaftchina@gmail.com