Fate of Chinese vlogger unknown after scheduled release

Concerns are growing for the safety of a Chinese blogger, who has not surfaced days after she was meant to be freed from jail.

Zhan Zhang was sentenced to four years for livestreaming the Covid-19 lockdowns in Wuhan. She was convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”.

She was due to be released on Monday, but her whereabouts remain unclear, sparking concerns from rights groups.

The 40-year-old is among a number of people who got into trouble for reporting on Covid-19.

“The international community must not forget Zhang Zhan and should demand that the Chinese government ensure that she is truly free,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Reporters Without Borders advocacy officer Aleksandra Bielakowska told the Guardian newspaper that the organisation had not received any information about Zhang since Monday.

She earlier told the BBC that this would be along expected lines.

“I honestly think we will have no updates soon. They will probably try to detain her in secret location, or keep her out of sight for some time,” she said.

In Ms Zhang’s case, her “personal freedom will still be restricted” and she is expected to stay with her parents in Shanghai, one of her lawyers had told BBC Chinese before her scheduled release on Monday.

Jerome Cohen, an expert in Chinese law, said “most released human rights advocates are kept quiet through informal means of suppression. Some try to leave the country and are successful in continuing to report on human rights violations in China but they are exceptions,” Prof Cohen said.

A lawyer for Ms Zhang said her family had been “frequently approached” by police during her detention, and were instructed not to discuss the case with others.