{"id":2042281,"date":"2023-09-23T05:51:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T09:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-academic-sentenced-to-3-5-years-in-prison-after-calling-covid-ccp-virus\/"},"modified":"2023-09-23T05:55:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T09:55:41","slug":"chinese-academic-sentenced-to-3-5-years-in-prison-after-calling-covid-ccp-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-academic-sentenced-to-3-5-years-in-prison-after-calling-covid-ccp-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese academic sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for referring to COVID as &#8216;CCP Virus&#8217;."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchinese-academic-sentenced-to-3-5-years-in-prison-after-calling-covid-ccp-virus%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2042281&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>A Retired Professor Imprisoned for Criticizing China&#8217;s Handling\u2063 of the Pandemic<\/h2>\n<p>In\u200b a shocking turn \u2062of events, a \u2062retired professor in his 70s\u200b has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison\u200d in \u2063China. His crime? Speaking out against the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s (CCP) response to \u2062the pandemic and referring to COVID-19 as the &#8220;CCP virus.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The professor, Chen\u200d Zhaozhi, who once taught at the University \u2062of Science and Technology Beijing, incurred the wrath of the regime when he dared to claim that the\u200c virus was not\u2063 just a Chinese virus, but a product\u2062 of \u200cthe CCP. \u200dHe also shared posts\u2062 discussing\u200c the severity of the outbreak within the country.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese authorities wasted no time \u200cin arresting him in March 2020, accusing him of spreading false information.\u200b On September 8, \u200dhe was \u2064sentenced for &#8220;picking\u200d quarrels and provoking trouble,&#8221; \u200da\u200b charge frequently used \u200cby Beijing to silence its critics. However, he was released the day after the court&#8217;s verdict.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/china\/with-economy-in-crisis-china-resorts-to-cover-up-5477092?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>With\u2062 Economy in\u2064 Crisis, China Resorts to Coverup<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/20\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/china\/with-economy-in-crisis-china-resorts-to-cover-up-5477092?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/how-the-west-abetted-beijings-censorship-of-the-lab-leak-theory-5134112?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>How the West Abetted Beijing\u2019s Censorship of the \u200dLab Leak\u2063 Theory<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">3\/19\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/how-the-west-abetted-beijings-censorship-of-the-lab-leak-theory-5134112?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I, \u2063Chen Zhaozhi, am back\u2014and back alive,&#8221; he declared in a\u200c video recorded on his phone, obtained by The Epoch\u2062 Times. Sitting in a rolling chair in \u200chis home, he appeared frail but defiant. He revealed that his\u200c health had deteriorated during his time in prison,\u200c and \u200dhe now relies on \u2062assistance \u200bto stand\u200d up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Chen Zhaozhi is just one of many Chinese academics, \u2064dissidents, and citizen journalists who have faced punishment for daring to expose the truth about\u200d the severity of the COVID \u200coutbreak and \u200dthe ongoing coverup orchestrated \u200dby Beijing.<\/div>\n<p>A Chinese lawyer familiar with Chen Zhaozhi&#8217;s situation, speaking anonymously, \u200crevealed that the retired professor\u200d suffers from Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, which worsened during his imprisonment. Despite multiple requests for medical parole, \u200dhis pleas were ignored.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;This\u2062 is\u200b a \u200cclear case of political persecution,&#8221; the anonymous lawyer \u2064stated.\u200c Another lawyer, also\u200c fearing retaliation, explained that the\u200d term &#8220;CCP \u2062virus&#8221; strikes \u200dfear into the regime.\u2064 &#8220;It&#8217;s their worst nightmare. \u200cLike \u2062a thief\u2062 being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/youtube-caught-red-handed-removing-dislikes-from-biden-white-house-page-anything-to-fool-the-proletariat\/\" title=\"YOUTUBE CAUGHT RED-HANDED Removing Dislikes from Biden White House Page \u2014 Anything to Fool the Proletariat\">caught red-handed<\/a>,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>According to \u2063a friend who spoke with\u2062 Chen Zhaozhi after \u2063his release, the professor&#8217;s speech and response time have noticeably \u200bslowed compared to three\u2062 years ago. Despite his declining health, authorities continue to monitor his every move, stationing\u2063 minders\u200d outside his apartment building.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While the details\u2062 of\u200d his time \u200bin prison remain \u2063unclear, Chen Zhaozhi revealed that he\u2063 now relies entirely on his \u2063wife for his basic needs.<\/p>\n<p>Described as \u2063a \u2064&#8221;very warm-hearted man,&#8221; Chen Zhaozhi has always been willing to help others, financially and with ideas to advance\u200b their causes. His friend \u2062told \u200cThe Epoch Times, &#8220;This is\u2062 a speech crime. Commenting on the pandemic is\u200c a taboo for the authorities.&#8221; Given\u200d Chen Zhaozhi&#8217;s\u200b influence,\u200d the regime wanted to make an example out of him.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A pro-democracy \u2062activist (C) from HK\u200c Alliance holds a placard \u200bof missing\u200d citizen journalist\u2064 Fang Bin, as\u200b she protests outside the\u2064 Chinese liaison office \u200din Hong Kong on\u2063 Feb. 19, 2020.\u200c (Isaac Lawrence\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Calls for Accountability<\/h2>\n<p>Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), a vocal critic \u200cof the CCP, sees Chen Zhaozhi&#8217;s \u200bpunishment as a \u2062reminder of the regime&#8217;s suppressive nature and its role in\u2062 the \u200cglobal spread of the pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;We have not been aggressive enough \u200din \u2063exposing the \u200dCCP&#8217;s coverup of the pandemic&#8217;s\u2064 origin. But it doesn&#8217;t \u2062surprise me that they are cracking\u2062 down on dissent. They\u2064 went to great lengths to suppress information and \u200dcorrupt our scientific community,&#8221; Gallagher,\u200c who \u200dleads\u200b the House Select Committee on the CCP,\u2062 stated.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This\u2063 is a classic example of CCP influence that has had a devastating effect on the global economy,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Committee chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis) speaks \u2064during a House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the \u200bUnited States\u2063 and the Chinese Communist Party meeting on &#8220;Taiwan Tabletop \u2062Exercise (TTX),&#8221; a war games simulation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on April \u206219, 2023. (Amanda Andrade\u200b Rhoades\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">During the early stages of the pandemic, the regime silenced doctors who tried to \u2063raise the alarm about the outbreak&#8217;s\u200d danger. They suppressed questions about official data and detained citizen journalists who attempted to uncover the true extent of the devastation on the \u2063ground. \u2062Meanwhile, state media downplayed \u200dthe COVID toll.<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Fang Bin, who captured\u2064 video footage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-academic-sentenced-to-3-5-years-in-prison-after-calling-covid-ccp-virus\/\" title=\"Chinese academic sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for referring to COVID as 'CCP Virus'.\">body bags inside hospitals<\/a> in early February, \u2063was imprisoned for three years before being released on\u200c April 30.<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Zhang Zhan stands \u2064near \u200dscaffoldings outside a\u200b shop during \u2063a \u2063visit to Wuhan \u200din Hubei province, China, \u200bon April 11, 2020. (Courtesy of Melanie \u200bWang \u2062via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics\u2062 in\u2063 2021, 11 Beijing-based Falun Gong adherents were sentenced to prison\u2063 terms ranging from two to \u200ceight years for sharing pandemic-related materials\u2063 with The Epoch Times.<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan is currently serving a four-year sentence, despite reports\u2063 of\u2062 her declining\u2064 health.<\/div>\n<p>Three years \u200con, the regime\u200c continues to tightly control information, refusing to \u2063allow \u2062any investigation into the origins of COVID-19\u200b or any other matter. Representative Gallagher believes it is crucial for the \u200binternational community to take action.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We should \u2064be imposing sanctions\u200d on Chinese entities and holding them accountable for their complicity in the COVID coverup,&#8221; he urged.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\"><em>Li Shanshan, \u2062Luo Ya, \u2062and \u200dChang Chun contributed to this report.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What is significant about the speed with which the Chinese authorities acted against a retired professor like \u2063Chen Zhaozhi?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200d Chen Zhaozhi, a retired professor in\u200d his\u200d 70s, \u2064has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lincoln-project-claims-liz-cheney-could-beat-up-matt-gaetz-with-one-hand-tied-behind-her-back\/\" title=\"Lincoln Project Claims Liz Cheney Could Beat Up Matt Gaetz \u2018With One Hand Tied Behind Her Back\u2019\">recently made headlines<\/a>\u200c and shocked the world with his imprisonment in\u200b China. His crime?\u200b Speaking\u200c out against \u2064the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s (CCP) handling of\u200d the pandemic\u200c and referring to COVID-19 as the &#8220;CCP virus.&#8221; This incident sheds light on the extent to\u2062 which the Chinese regime \u2063will go to silence its critics.<\/p>\n<p>Chen Zhaozhi, who once taught at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, boldly claimed that the virus was not just a\u2062 Chinese virus, but a product of \u200dthe CCP. He also shared posts discussing the severity of the outbreak within the country. These statements evidently incurred the wrath of the Chinese authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese authorities wasted no time in arresting Chen Zhaozhi in March 2020, accusing him of spreading false information. This is not a surprising tactic, as Beijing frequently resorts to such charges to silence individuals who dare to criticize the regime. \u2064However, what is surprising is the speed with which they acted against a retired professor.<\/p>\n<p>On September 8, after months of detainment, Chen\u200d Zhaozhi was sentenced for &#8220;picking\u2063 quarrels and provoking trouble.&#8221; This charge has often been used to suppress dissenting voices and maintain control over the population. However, what is remarkable is that he was released the day after the court&#8217;s verdict. This \u200dsudden release may suggest that the Chinese\u200d authorities succumbed to international pressure and decided\u200b to avoid further scrutiny by\u200b keeping him behind bars.<\/p>\n<p>In a video recorded on his phone and obtained by The Epoch \u2063Times, \u200dChen Zhaozhi declared, &#8220;I, Chen Zhaozhi, am back\u2014and back alive.&#8221; Sitting in a rolling chair in\u2062 his home, he appeared frail but defiant. He revealed that his health\u200d had deteriorated during his time in prison, and he now relies on assistance to stand up. The toll that his imprisonment has taken on his physical and mental well-being is evident, \u2062yet his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cia-chief-putin-thinks-he-cant-afford-to-lose-in-ukraine-could-soon-double-down\/\" title=\"CIA Chief: Putin Thinks He \u201cCan\u2019t Afford to Lose\u201d in Ukraine, Could Soon Double Down\">spirit remains unbroken<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Chen Zhaozhi&#8217;s case underscores the \u200dChinese regime&#8217;s fear of criticism and its determination to control narratives, \u2063even at the\u200c expense of human rights. By\u200c imprisoning a retired professor for daring to speak out against the government&#8217;s handling of the pandemic, China sends a chilling message to its citizens: dissent will not be tolerated.<\/p>\n<p>The imprisonment of Chen Zhaozhi serves\u2064 as a stark reminder that freedom of speech and the right to criticize those in power are fundamental \u200bpillars of democracy. The international community must condemn such\u200d actions and support \u200cindividuals like Chen Zhaozhi who risk everything to shed light on human rights abuses and governmental misconduct.<\/p>\n<p>As the world \u200cgrapples with\u200d the ongoing pandemic, \u2063it is crucial to foster\u200c an environment \u200dwhere \u2064open dialogue and transparency are encouraged. Silencing \u200cvoices of dissent, especially \u2064those with valuable insights and experiences, hinders progress and jeopardizes the well-being of countless individuals.<\/p>\n<p>Chen Zhaozhi&#8217;s \u2064case should serve as a call \u200dto action\u200b for governments, organizations, and individuals worldwide to stand up against oppressive\u2062 regimes and \u2064defend the principles of free speech and human rights. The bravery of individuals like Chen Zhaozhi reminds us that our voices matter\u200b and that\u200b we must never take \u2064our freedoms for\u2064 granted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Chinese retired professor, Chen Zhaozhi, in his 70s, has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s (CCP) pandemic response and referring to COVID-19 as the &#8220;CCP virus.&#8221; Chen, a former University of Science and Technology Beijing professor, faced backlash from the regime for his remarks during the early days of the pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":361,"featured_media":2042282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/361"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2042281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2042281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2042281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2042281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}