Coronavirus: Citizen Journalist ‘Disappears’ After Reporting on Virus in Wuhan

A citizen journalist who had been reporting from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak has disappeared, prompting claims that the Chinese authorities are silencing another whistleblower.

34-year-old lawyer Chen Qiushi, who was previously detained for posting videos from the protests in Hong Kong, had been reporting from the front lines of the virus, in hospitals and on the streets of Wuhan.

Chen, who has more than 200,000 followers on Twitter and more than 400,000 subscribers to his Youtube channel, gained millions of views on social media with his posts.

In one emotional video, the journalist appeared to recognise that he was a likely target for the Chinese state, saying: “In front of me is the virus. Behind me is China’s legal and administrative power.”

According to Chen’s friends, authorities told his family over the weekend that he had been forcibly quarantined in an undisclosed location.

#Coronavirus #Wuhan #China

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