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• Issue #272
• Article

The case of Gao Zhen, a prominent Chinese artist/photographer and U.S. permanent resident detained in China since August 26, 2024, for “defaming heroes and martyrs,” continues to draw international concern as his trial approaches at the Sanhe City People's Court. Gao, a member of the Gao Brothers duo, is now represented by human rights lawyer Mo Shaoping, known for defending high-profile dissidents such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. Mo, alongside attorney Ma Gangquan of the Mo Shaoping Law Firm, has taken over the case after Gao Zhen refused to plead guilty and accept a three-year prison sentence, signaling a robust defense against charges rooted in artworks created 15 years ago—well before the 2021 law criminalizing defamation of “heroes and martyrs” was enacted.

Gao Zhen's detention stems from his and his brother Gao Qiang's provocative artworks, including sculptures like Mao's Guilt, Miss Mao and The Execution of Christ", which critique Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution. These works, inspired by the tragic death of their father during the Cultural Revolution, challenge the Chinese Communist Party's sanitized historical narrative. The retroactive application of the 2021 law to artworks predating its enactment raises serious questions about legal non-retroactivity and artistic freedom, drawing condemnation from human rights organizations and figures like Ai Weiwei.

Of grave concern is the ongoing exit ban imposed on Gao Zhen's wife, a U.S. permanent resident, and their seven-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, who have been prevented from returning to New York since attempting to leave China in September 2024. This restriction has kept the young child from resuming school, exacerbating the family's distress and straining U.S.-China relations. The seizure of over 100 artworks from the Gao Brothers' studio further underscores the Chinese authorities' aggressive censorship of artistic expression.

The international community, including the Human Rights Foundation and Amnesty International, has rallied behind Gao, with over 20,000 signatures on a petition demanding his immediate release. To add your signature go here: https://www.change.org/p/free-artist-gao-zhen-freedom-for-the-arts. The case highlights China's escalating use of vague laws to suppress dissent and artistic freedom, contradicting constitutional protections and global human rights standards.

With the trial expected to begin within a month, the brothers invite media, artists, and human rights advocates to join them in raising awareness of Gao Zhen's plight and the broader erosion of artistic freedom in China. At 69, Gao Zhen has been suffering from lower back pain, which has worsened since his arrest. When the condition is severe, he needs to use a wheelchair during meetings with his lawyer. He also suffers from chronic urticaria and needs to take medication daily, otherwise his body itches so much that he cannot sleep. There is deep concern for his safety and survival. Gao’s release would be in line with the humanitarian spirit.

The family urgently calls for the immediate release of both the innocent artist and his American citizen son from Chinese detention and exit ban restrictions, allowing his safe return with his family to their home in the United States.

The world will be watching as lawyer Mo Shaoping defends not only an artist, but the very principles of justice and freedom of expression in the Sanhe City People's Court.