U.N.’s human rights office expresses concern over Gao Zhen trial
Gao, who is in poor health, has been charged with “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs” under a 2021 law.
Law and Crime
United Nations officials have expressed concern over the trial of artist Gao Zhen, a 69-year-old permanent resident of the United States, who has been imprisoned in China for nearly two years over sculptures he made of Mao Zedong more than a decade ago.
Gao, who is in poor health, has been charged with “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs” under a 2021 law and faces a sentence of up to three years in prison. His wife and his seven-year-old son, a natural-born U.S. citizen, have been prevented from leaving China.
Gao was detained on August 26, 2024. After his arrest, police in the city of Sanhe raided his studio and confiscated some 118 artworks, carting them away in as many as seven trucks.
Artist Gao Zhen, detained in China, is in poor health
Gao fainted in September and may have arteriosclerosis, putting him at risk for a stroke.
Adam Schrader
His closed-door trial began March 30 and lasted just one day at the Sanhe City People's Court in Hebei Province.
“The case against him raises concerns with regard to retroactive application of criminal law and use of criminal sanctions to punish artistic expression, undermining the principle of legality,” the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement last week.
“We are further concerned by reports that his health is deteriorating in detention and urge the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. We also call for the lifting of the exit ban that has been imposed on his family.”
The Human Rights Foundation said earlier this month that it had submitted an individual complaint to the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Gao.
It said that it detailed “numerous” human rights violations, including prolonged solitary confinement and denial of medical care. HRF urged the U.N. body to declare his detention arbitrary and in violation of international law.
“Gao Zhen’s trial, delayed three times, took place in a single day on March 30, 2026, suggesting his guilt had been predetermined,” the organization said. “He is still awaiting a verdict.”
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