On 18 November 2021, RSF announced that the 2021 Prize for Courage, which aims to support and salute journalists, media outlets or NGOs that have displayed courage in the practice, defence or promotion of journalism, has been awarded to the Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan.

Despite constant threats, lawyer-turned-journalist Zhang Zhan covered the Covid-19 outbreak in the city of Wuhan in February 2020, live-streaming video reports on social media that showed the city's streets and hospitals, and the families of the sick. Her reporting from the heart of the pandemic's initial epicentre was one of the main sources of independent information about the health situation in Wuhan at the time. After being arrested in May 2020 and held incommunicado for several months without any official reason being provided, Zhang Zhan was sentenced on 28 December 2020 to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". In protest against this injustice and the mistreatment to which she was subjected, she went on a hunger strike that resulted in her being shackled and force-fed. Her friends and family now fear for her life, and her health has worsened dramatically in recent weeks.

For full details, see https://rsf.org/en/news/chinese-journalist-palestinian-journalist-and-pegasus-project-receive-2021-rsf-press-freedom-awards

感谢无国界记者将今年的勇气奖颁给张展。我们致敬、祝福此时在狱中病危的张展，问候她的家人，感谢全球所有为她重获自由而付出努力的朋友们。

去年2月，张展出于对受灾同胞的爱、一个公民的社会责任感、一个基督徒的坚定信仰，冒着生命危险，到武汉疫区作公民报道。被捕后，张展以绝食作为最后的抗议方式，用她的生命发出了呐喊。

张展提醒我们，中国当局是怎样控制媒体、阻断信息、封口抓人，掩盖、模糊、混淆有关这场世纪瘟疫的所有真相。疫情从中国武汉蔓延到全世界，这是极权制造的一场史无前例的人祸。除了张展和被失踪的方斌外，我们不知道还有多少中国公民因为报道、转发疫情消息而遭迫害，更不知道假如当初没有掩盖疫情，今天全世界有多少人本应还活着。

张展说，没有真相的世界毫无意义。生活在自由世界的我们，任重而道远。愿我们像张展一样寻求真相，不惜代价；捍卫自由，决不放弃。

中国良心犯死于狱中的悲剧已太多。年仅38岁的张展生命危在旦夕，请继续利用所有可能的渠道和方式向中国当局紧急呼吁：立即释放张展，让她及时就医；释放所有良心犯。谢谢！

张展关注组发起人 2021.11.18