In a recent call to action, Human Rights Watch has urged the Chinese government to drop charges against Gao Zhen, an artist and U.S. permanent resident, who was detained in August 2024. Gao’s arrest occurred in Sanhe City while visiting family, and he faces charges of slandering China’s heroes and martyrs through his artworks that critique the Cultural Revolution. The organization emphasized the demand for Gao’s immediate release and called on the authorities to clarify the legal grounds for the charges and ensure due process is upheld. Gao has been held without a trial date and is reportedly suffering from arteriosclerosis in detention.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, expressed concern about the implications of Gao’s prosecution, noting that it reflects a regression to historical censorship under President Xi Jinping’s administration. The crackdown on artistic expression highlights increasing ideological controls, where critiques of Mao’s legacy, once tolerated, now face significant opposition. The legal framework under which Gao is charged stems from a crime instituted in 2021, yet the contested artworks were created prior to 2009. This raises serious questions about the retroactive application of laws and the suppression of free expression in China.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, safeguarding the right to freedom of opinion and expression, is central to this case. Despite not ratifying it, China is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which similarly enshrines these freedoms. The situation with Gao parallels broader concerns over human rights practices in China, where organizations like Amnesty International recently reported that vague legal statutes are increasingly used to restrict civilians’ speech and association freedoms. The full report by Human Rights Watch can be accessed here.
This unfolding situation with Gao Zhen coincides with heightened scrutiny over a proposed Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which international critics fear might undermine minority protections. Additionally, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders has highlighted ongoing human rights violations involving detained activists in China. These developments reinforce the call for diplomatic and international interventions to address the encroachment on freedoms within the nation. For more context, coverage by Reuters further elaborates on China’s stringent legal maneuvers against dissenting voices, shedding light on the broader implications for global human rights advocacy.