NEWS PROVIDED BY
China Aid Association
May 18, 2021

MIDLAND, Texas, May 18, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- On May 14, Lawyer Zhang Zhan's one year anniversary of her arrest for reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, ChinaAid awarded her the "2020 Lin Zhao Freedom Award." Based on the nominations received, ChinaAid's Selection Committee unanimously voted to honor Ms. Zhang, a Christian, a lawyer, and a fearless, citizen journalist.

During the time the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) raged throughout the world, igniting and spreading fear of its deadly, debilitating effects, Lawyer Zhang travelled to Wuhan, the center of the outbreak. She courageously investigated the area, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, to film what she witnessed. For her work revealing unsettling findings to the world, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities arrested Ms. Zhang, unjustly tried her, and then sentenced her to serve four years in prison. By courageously exposing what she witnessed and learned, however, Zhang Zhan demonstrated a dedication that touched the world and a spirit of fearless sacrifice against the Chinese Communist regime.

As the year 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of Lin Zhao's death, ChinaAid Association inaugurated the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" to commemorate Lin Zhao and pass down her legacy to following generations. The award recognizes domestic Chinese citizens who are committed to promoting contemporary Chinese civil society and to progressing rule of law. The "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" aims at commemorating Lin Zhao's democratic vision and ethics and courage, as well as her insistence to non-violence. It also provides moral and financial support to individuals who have sacrificed enormously in order to promote contemporary, Chinese civil society and progress rule of law.

Bob Fu, PhD, founder and president of ChinaAid, issued the following statement on Zhang Zhan's heavy, unjust, unjustifiable sentence, which included the following;

"The Chinese Communist authorities' arbitrary arrest, torture, and shameful trial of Christian citizen journalist, Lawyer Zhang Zhan and the heavy, heartlessly four-year prison sentence portray an extension of the CCP authorities' year-long ongoing cover-up of the Wuhan viral COVID-19 crime. Like whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang, Ms. Zhang is not only innocent of the CCP's fabricated charges, but she is also a heroine to the world for her selfless and courageous efforts to expose the truth about COVID-19."

ChinaAid Association has scheduled to host its "2020 Lin Zhao Freedom Award" ceremony this fall in Washington, DC, USA.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lin Zhao's martyrdom, ChinaAid established the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" in 2018 to honor Chinese citizens in China who have worked to advance civil society and the rule of law in contemporary China. ChinaAid established this award to honor Lin Zhao's democratic ideals and spiritual-moral courage, as well as her commitment to the principles of non-violence. This award also provides moral and financial support to individuals who paid the ultimate price for advancing civil society and the rule of law in contemporary China.

Nominees for the "Lin Zhao Freedom Award" must have completed outstanding work to advance the rule of law and civil society in contemporary China by promoting freedom and democracy, truth, and reconciliation in the spirit of non-violence against injustice and oppression advocated by Ms. Lin Zhao and have suffered injustice and persecution in the process.

During the process of exposing the truth regarding the coronavirus, Zhang Zhan conveyed compassion, care, and loving concern for victims of the coronavirus which continues to touch the world. ChinaAid proudly honors Zhang Zhan for not only her courage, but also for her fearlessness and willingness to sacrifice herself.

SOURCE China Aid Association

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