Missing activist and lawyer Gao Zhisheng has failed to reappear following the end of his sentence, prompting an appeal for information from his family. From The Telegraph:
Mr Gao’s older brother, Gao Zhiyi, 57, issued a missing person notice pleading for any information. “August 14 is the end of his five-year sentence and he should be released,” said Mr Gao.
“Our biggest concern now is whether he is still alive. I am worried they have already murdered him. Otherwise why should his family not be told anything about him?”
Mr Gao, who was born into absolute poverty and lived in a cave in Shaanxi province, taught himself law and passed the bar in 1995. In 2001, he was even named as one of China’s top ten lawyers by the Ministry of Justice.
However, he fell foul of the Chinese government after taking on a series of cases involving members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement and China’s underground Christian churches.
Reuters reports that the authorities have claimed to have no knowledge of Gao’s whereabouts:
Police officers have told Gao Zhisheng’s family that he is missing or they ignore pleas for information, said Gao Zhiyi. “I’ve tried calling many times, but get nothing,” he added ….
“I’m an ordinary citizen, and there’s nothing I can do,” Gao’s brother Gao Zhiyi wrote in the missing person appeal. “If anyone knows something, please tell his family, and we will certainly show our gratitude,” he wrote.
For more on Gao Zhisheng, see the CDT archives.
Sources:
Gao Zhisheng’s family appeal for his release – Telegraph
Family of missing China rights lawyer seeks news on whereabouts – Reuters
