A former lawyer charged with disseminating virus-related lies on the Internet in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, where the spread of the new coronavirus was first confirmed, was sentenced to four years in prison. , US Secretary of State Pompeo issued a statement and strongly condemned it.
Mr. Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer in Shanghai, China, entered Wuhan, where the infection of the new coronavirus had been spreading since February, and posted local information such as infection countermeasures by the authorities on the Internet, but it is a lie. After being detained by authorities for disseminating information, a court sentenced him to four years in prison on the 28th of this month.
On the other hand, the former lawyer has said that the decision is unjustified.
Secretary of State Pompeo releases statement
Regarding this ruling, US Secretary of State Pompeo issued a statement on the 29th, saying, "The Chinese Communist Party will do anything to silence those who doubt the party's official view, even if it is important public health information. I showed it. "
"From the beginning, the Chinese Communist Party has restricted, manipulated, and silenced those trying to tell the truth about the spread of the new coronavirus in Wuhan."
The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that China is responsible for the spread of the infection, but this time it has taken a strict stance.