Lawyer Gao Zhisheng Forcibly Taken by Police

Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng Forcibly Taken by Police, Current Whereabouts Unknown; His Latest Open Letter Reveals His Past Severe Torture
Posted Feb 08 2009

ChinaAid Press Release
Media Contact: Katherine Cason (267) 210-8278 or Katherine@ChinaAid.org
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Photo: Gao Zhisheng and his son

February 9, 2009

BEIJING- In his latest open letter, world-renowned Chinese Christian human rights lawyer Mr. Gao Zhisheng, revealed the shocking details of the severe torture he suffered. The letter addressed to the international community was written on November 28, 2007 at his besieged home in Beijing and was authorized to be released to the international community on February 9, 2009 by Mr. Gao and his family.

In his letter, Mr. Gao recorded that, after sending an open letter to members of the U.S. Congress, he was kidnapped on September 21, 2007 and for more than 50 days he was tortured in the most inhumane ways. He was forced to lie naked on the floor for 13 days and nights while he was tortured with electric shock batons and toothpicks were used to pierce his sexual organs. He wrote, “The electric shock baton was put all over me. And my full body, my heart, lungs and muscles began jumping under my skin uncontrollably. I was writhing on the ground in pain, trying to crawl away. Wang (one of the interrogators) then shocked me in my genitals.”

The interrogators used the cigarettes to fill his nose and eyes with smoke for extended periods of time. He was told, “You wrote that letter to American Congressmen. Look at you, you traitor. What could you be given by your American lord? The American Congress counts for nothing. This is China. It is the Communist Party’s territory. To capture your life is as easy as stepping on an ant.”

ChinaAid learned that attorney Gao Zhisheng, who was nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, was forcibly taken from his hometown in Shaanxi province early in the morning on February 4 by a dozen police officers. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown.

Gao Zhisheng is a former Chinese Communist Party member, Chinese army veteran and prominent Christian attorney. Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities for his work defending underground Christians (including Pastor Cai Zhouhua) and persecuted Falun Gong and human rights activists. He, his wife and two children have been monitored and tormented by authorities for more than two years, and much of their contact with the outside world has been cut off.

“We are deeply concerned about Mr. Gao and his family. The international community including the UN Human Rights Council should hold the Chinese government accountable for its brutal persecution against Mr. Gao’s family,” said Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid, who knows Gao and his family very well. “It’s time to take these records seriously as China’s human rights’ record will be examined by the United Nations, today, in Geneva.”

Read the full letter by Gao Zhisheng regarding his torture experience in 2007.

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