From AlJazeera.net:
Police announced on Friday that they had arrested Gao Zhisheng “for suspected involvement in criminal activities”, without specifying any charges.
Gao’s previous clients have included disgruntled private oil investors, rural protesters and members of Falun Gong, the spiritual group that is outlawed in China.
A petition signed by 40 Chinese activists and dissidents said that Gao “has fully exercised his right to engage in civic rights defence activities and his freedom to express his political views”. [Full text]
The petition letter calling for Gao’s release is available here (in Chinese). See also “China dissidents press for lawyer’s release” from Reuters. See also a related story about the Chinese government’s crackdown on Gao and other human rights lawyers, via CDT.
