A Chinese journalist who reported the alleged truth of Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years Zhang Zhan, 37, was found guilty of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," her lawyer said.
Zhang is the first person known to have been tried and was among a handful of people whose firsthand accounts from crowded hospitals and empty streets painted a more dire picture of the pandemic epicentre than the official narrative.
Her lawyer, Ren Quanniu, said they would be appealing the sentencing. "Ms Zhang believes she is being persecuted for exercising her freedom of speech," he had said before the trial.
Criticism of China's early handling of the crisis has been censored and whistle-blowers, such as doctors, warned. State media