The news of Chinese rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng's relatives
being denied visitor's rights caught worldwide media attention.
Gao's wife wrote her second open letter to him as the Chinese
New Year is approaching.
And on Jan. 18th, Gao's wife and other rights activists appealed
in New York to the United Nations for their support by asking for a global action to ensure his safety.
On Jan. 18th, the wife of imprisoned human rights lawyer Gao
Zhisheng and a group of Chinese activists came to New York's United Nations to appeal for his welfare.
Geng He, Ge Lifang, Chen Weili and Ai Furong were holding
two banners that read:
"Free My Husband Zhisheng Gao who is Persecuted and
Imprisoned in Xinjiang" and "Global Action Focusing on the
Safety & Life of Human Rights Attorney Gao Zhisheng".
Wife Geng He is very moved by all the support towards Gao.
Geng He, Gao Zhisheng's Wife: "That day Ge Lifang called to
ask me how things were going.
Then Ge Furong told me that all petitioners know about
Gao's situation and that they would like to speak out for him.
Many people who got help from Gao before are speaking out
for him. I feel much moved."
Lawyer Gao Zhisheng is well known for defending activists.
Then in Dec. 2006, Gao got a 3-year prison sentence for
Subversion and was later given a probation sentence of 5 years.
Gao was then arrested at his Shanxi home in February 2009.
He was released one year later in March 2010 for a brief
period but went missing soon after.
Geng He, Gao Zhisheng's Wife: "Four days before Gao's
probation expired, on Dec.16th of 2011,
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stated in English
the cancellation of his probation via XinhuaNet.
They were sending him back to jail for another three years.
We had been searching for him for 20 months,
and then we received such news.
On Jan.1st, Gao's family received a document from a Xinjiang
prison,
informing them that Gao was being held at Shaya jail,
800 km away from Xinjiang's capital city.
That same day, Gao's wife wrote her first open letter
to her husband.
Netizens activists then urged people to travel to Xinjiang to visit Gao,
or to show support by sending him postcards and name cards.
Gao's relatives found Shaya jail's phone number and tried to
call but no one ever answered.
Gao's brother Gao Zhiyi, Gao's father-in-law and
his two sisters travelled 4000 km to Shaya jail to see Gao, but were denied visitors' rights.
Wife Geng He was given two reasons for Gao's visit denial:
firstly that Gao simply didn't want to see his family and
secondly that Gao was under a 3-months "education period".
He would only be allowed visitors after 3 months and
only if he behaves well.
His brother asked them how to contact the jail
and the police gave him a phone no. that no one answers to.
Shaya jail is located in a remote area, with neither food nor
accommodation available within a 30 km radius.
Gao's brother, Gao Zhiyi, and relatives stayed overnight
in Shaya county.
They then travelled to Shaya jail and with the idea of
negotiating with officials, they had high hopes of seeing Gao.
Geng He, Gao Zhisheng's Wife: "The next day, our relatives
were stopped at a checkpoint 10 km away from the jail.
Two people came out of it angrily and started blaming Gao's
brother saying:
Why did you publicize our telephone number?
Why did you accept interviews reporting on this?"
They then told Gao's brother that the Beijing High Court had
informed them that he was visiting his brother,
and that they had instructed the Xinjiang's Justice Dept.
to not give Gao any standard treatment.
The news of Gao's visitors denial attracted worldwide attention.
The Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC Chinese network,
the Voice of America and the Deutsche Welle all reported on it.
Gao's wife is worried that something has happened to him, and
that the Chinese regime's police has tortured him to death.
She suspects that is the reason why the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) has not given her any good explanations,
and are finding excuses to hide the truth about his fate.
Geng He, Gao Zhisheng's Wife: "Can the CCP's (Chinese
communist party) mouthpiece media Xinhua News and
its agents be trusted?
Why don't they want us to see him?
Why don't they let us know the verdict?
Why didn't the judge answer the phone call?
If Gao is able to meet with people,
why don't they let him?
So I'm guessing that Gao has been tortured badly,
or has been tortured to death.
That is why the CCP (Chinese communist party) can't
give us explanations and are finding excuses to hold him another 3 years in jail."
On Jan.10th, Gao's wife wrote her second open letter
which said:
"Although I know of your whereabouts,
my heart is still in the whirls of darkness...
We can now only reunite with you in our dreams."
NTD reporters Li Yun and Xue Li
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