Chinese authorities are reportedly preparing to release Fang Bin, a citizen journalist who was detained three years ago for publishing videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Fang began posting videos of himself reporting on the Covid situation in Wuhan in January 2020, when the outbreak had already devastated the city’s 11 million residents.
When authorities became aware of the videos, Fang was warned before being subsequently detained. He was reportedly sentenced to three years in prison for ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’, which is often used to refer to political dissidence.
According to an AP report, Fang was scheduled to be released on April 30, although it had not been officially confirmed by authorities until later. Dr Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist, was another whistleblower who made headlines for being one of the first to sound the alarm. However, he was penalized by Chinese authorities for making ‘false statements’ and ultimately died of COVID-19 while fighting for patients.
China was the epicenter of the pandemic and one of the last countries to lift restrictions. The country under President Xi Jinping employed a zero-Covid tolerance policy, which led to horrific scenes.
The policy was lifted only in December 2020, and cases started to increase again in mainland China earlier this week. The Chinese authorities have urged citizens to be cautious and have instructed hospitals to be on high alert ahead of the holiday weekend.
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