A Chinese journalist will be freed without charge following nine months in detention after she helped cover the Hong Kong democracy protests for a German publication, her lawyer said today.
Beijing prosecutors decided not to bring any charge against Zhang Miao, who was a news assistant for Die Zeit, said lawyer Zhou Shifeng, who was notified of the decision today.
He said Zhang was scheduled to be released tonight after being detained in October on a disturbance charge.
Zhang's detention highlights the precarious situation for Chinese nationals working for foreign media, as they often become targets of police harassment and intimidation. Angela Kockritz, the Beijing correspondent for Die Zeit, left China after she also felt pressure from authorities following Zhang's detention.
Zhou said he had argued to prosecutors that the evidence against Zhang was obtained through coercion and torture and should be considered illegal.
"We had expected her release because we believed the evidence was invalid and could not be used," Zhou said.
Kockritz and Die Zeit could not be immediately reached for comment.
