After three years of a prison sentence for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” Fang Bin was released. The Chinese citizen journalist reported on the Covid-19 outbreak. (hotcanadianpharmacy.com) Read to know more.
Fang Bin to be released from Chinese prison
Fang Bin, the Chinese citizen journalist who alerted the world about an oncoming pandemic is going to be released from prison. He was imprisoned for three years after being detained for sharing videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies at the beginning of the pandemic. In January 2020, Fang started posting videos reporting on the COVID-19 situation in Wuhan. A hard 76-day-long lockdown was announced in the city of Wuhan and people like Fang began reporting the reality of the situation in Wuhan. The virus devastated the city with over 11 million residents.
While the citizen journalism movement was relatively small, it defied the Communist Party’s mandate. Authorities got wind of the videos and detained him for not heading to the warnings. In his last video, he shared a piece of paper reading, “All citizens resist, hand power back to the people.” As per a media report, he received a three-year prison sentence for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” While it is a vague term, it is often used by the Chinese regime to refer to political dissidence.
More on other whistleblowers
Other than Fang Bin, Dr. Li Wenliang made the headlines as one of the first whistleblowers. The 33-year-old opthalmologist was penalized by the authorities for making “false statements”. He succumbed to COVID-19 while fighting for patients. Moreover, his passing led to massive public rage and grief. China, the ground zero of the pandemic held a zero-Covid policy under President Xi Jinping. The draconian policy created horrific scenes across the country until its abrupt lifting in December 2022. Recently, on Wednesday, the authorities urged people to be cautious. It also instructed hospitals and health care centers to be on high alert with holidays approaching.