Beijing, Sept. 21 -- Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, once jailed for her frontline reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, appeared in court again in Shanghai on September 19.

Her trial, closely monitored worldwide, highlighted the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) ongoing assault on free expression, as reported by The Epoch Times.

According to The Epoch Times, the hearing at the Pudong New Area People's Court was held under tight security. Authorities deployed police to cordon off the area, preventing ordinary citizens from entering or showing support.

Foreign diplomats from several Western nations were also barred, with officials citing "incomplete paperwork" as justification. Rights groups described the restrictions as yet...