(Adnkronos) – Three years in prison for “defamation of Chinese heroes and martyrs”. This is the sentence handed down in China to Gao Zhen, the ‘dissident’ artist of the ‘Gao Brothers’, known for their committed art, their criticism of the Cultural Revolution, according to what was reported by the Weiquanwang website (network for the protection of rights). Works and sculptures created in the past by Gao, 70, have come under fire from a court in Sanhe city, Hebei province. According to the site, when the sentence was read, the artist’s brothers were present, but no representatives from the US embassy in China.
Gao was arrested in August 2024, after arriving in China from the United States – where he had chosen to live since 2022 – to visit relatives remaining in the People’s Republic. His wife, Zhao Yaliang, the New York Times recalls, was prevented from leaving China with their seven-year-old son, an American citizen. Gao will remain in prison until August next year. His wife and son have remained in the Asian giant, subjected – Amnesty International confirms today – to a travel ban for reasons of “national security”. In April, the United Nations had expressed “concern” over Gao’s detention and reports on his health conditions. His immediate release had been requested. According to Amnesty, Gao has spinal and knee problems and reportedly fainted several times during detention.
In the Dragon, it is a crime to tarnish the reputation of historical figures. And since 2021, one risks up to three years in prison based on a 2018 law ‘perfected’ three years later with more severe penalties. In August two years ago, brother Gao Qiang told the Guardian that all the works seized at the time of Gao Zhen’s arrest were more than ten years old. Mao Zedong has been the absolute protagonist of the ‘Gao Brothers” works. The emblem is ‘The Guilt of Mao’, which depicts Mao kneeling. The artists chose to separate the head from the rest of the work. According to Zhao, it is one of the three sculptures that came under fire, the New York Times reports. ‘The Execution of Christ’ is a Jesus in front of a Mao firing squad. Their manifesto work is ‘Miss Mao’.
The newspaper highlights that Gao’s case is one of the first where the law is used retroactively, but also how people informed about the events claim the artist is accused of having disseminated images of works featuring Mao on the web until 2024.
Amnesty International criticized the conviction, considering it an “assault on artistic freedom” and a reflection of the “authorities’ determination to deter others from expressing themselves independently in the field of art”. “No artist should be punished for creating a work that challenges the official narrative or invites critical reflection on history,” said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty’s China director.
What happened, she added, “demonstrates how generically formulated and politically motivated laws are used,” in this case “used retroactively.” The accusation in Beijing is to “silence artists, activists, and others who dare to express opinions different from the position supported by the Chinese government.” Gao, she reiterated, “must be released immediately and unconditionally,” “harassment and threats against his family must end,” and “Chinese authorities” must “stop criminalizing peaceful expression and artistic creativity.”
