He was scheduled to be released Sunday, according to two people who did not want to be identified for fear of government retribution. One of them said Fang was sentenced to three years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble," a vague charge traditionally used against political dissidents. The Associated Press could not independently confirm his release and could not confirm the details with the authorities. Phone calls to a court that reportedly sentenced Fang rang unanswered on Sunday afternoon. In early 2020, the initial COVID outbreak devastated the city of Wuhan, home to 11 million residents, in central China’s Hubei province.

Source: ABC News April 30, 2023 14:31 UTC