Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan, who documented the early Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, was sentenced to an additional four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” following her initial 2020 imprisonment.

Zhang, known for posting firsthand accounts from hospitals and streets, went on hunger strike during her detention and was forcibly fed.

Rights groups condemned the sentence as persecution for her journalism and called for her immediate release, NBC News has reported.

China currently holds over 120 journalists in prison and ranks near the bottom of the global press freedom index.