First Liu Xiaobo Human Rights Award Presented to Chinese Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan in Prison

(CNA, Taipei, April 14) The inaugural Liu Xiaobo Human Rights Award ceremony took place in Leipzig, Germany, on the 13th local time, with two co-recipients announced. One of them is Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist currently imprisoned.

According to Radio France Internationale, the Liu Xiaobo Human Rights Award was jointly established by the Germany-based media outlet 'Voice of Europe' and the UK-based 'China Research.' The first award has two recipients: Zhang Zhan, and Roland Kühne, a teacher and pastor at the Rhine-Maas Vocational School in Germany. As Zhang Zhan is currently in a Chinese prison, the award was accepted on her behalf by Geling Yan, a writer based in Germany.

When accepting the award, Yan stated that due to Zhang Zhan being under surveillance and unable to leave the country or speak out, she would read Zhang's own words as her acceptance speech: 'As I increasingly see people living in lies and disasters, if speaking up for my own survival is considered a crime, then I cannot stop speaking.'

'The problem with this country is a systemic one. I believe we must be brave and persistent. Freedom has never been free. I hope this country will change.'

Yan emphasized that these words reflect Zhang Zhan's character and courage, making her the most suitable recipient of the Liu Xiaobo Human Rights Award.

Zhang Zhan, born in 1983, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2020 for traveling to Wuhan, Hubei Province, during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the city's lockdown, to investigate the truth about the epidemic and the lockdown conditions. After completing her sentence and being released in 2024, she was sentenced to another four years in September 2025 for publicly supporting other human rights activists.

As Zhang Zhan could not attend the ceremony, reports indicate that alongside the empty chair symbolizing Liu Xiaobo, another empty chair was placed in her honor.

Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident writer who passed away, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. However, at the time, he was imprisoned for his involvement in drafting the 'Charter 08,' a call for democracy. As Liu could not attend, the Norwegian Nobel Committee placed an empty chair at the ceremony in his honor.

In June 2017, at the age of 61, Liu Xiaobo was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer and granted medical parole by the Chinese government. His condition worsened on July 13, and he passed away despite medical efforts. His body was cremated in the early hours of July 15, Beijing time, and his ashes were scattered at sea at noon the same day. (Editors: Zhou Huiying / Zhu Jianling) 1150714

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