(Adnkronos) – “Strong concern” comes from the US State Department regarding the case of Gao Zhen, the artist from the ‘Gao Brothers’ (known for their committed art, their criticism of the Cultural Revolution) residing in the United States, arrested two years ago in China and sentenced yesterday to three years in prison. In statements to Europa Press, a State Department spokesperson emphasized that the charges against Gao – “defamation of Chinese heroes and martyrs” in relation to works featuring Mao Zedong – refer to events dating back to “years before the enactment of the law” under which Gao was convicted.
“The United States continues to support the right to freedom of expression, which includes the expression of this right through art,” the spokesperson said, confirming that Chinese authorities prevented diplomats from the US embassy in Beijing from attending the trial. “Several diplomatic missions that tried to attend the reading of the sentence on August 25 at the Sanhe court in Hebei province received a ‘no’ in response,” he stated.
