Responding to news that Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been convicted of the offence of “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs” and sentenced to three years in prison, Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said:
“The lengthy pre-trial detention and, ultimately, decision to convict Gao Zhen and sentence him to the maximum three-year prison term under this offence illustrate the authorities’ determination to deter others from engaging in independent artistic expression.
“No artist should face criminal punishment for creating work that challenges official narratives or encourages critical reflection on history.
“This trial demonstrates how broadly worded and politically motivated laws are used – and worse, in this case, used retroactively – to silence artists, activists and other individuals who dare to express views that differ from those of the Chinese government.”
The repressive outreach of the authorities has extended beyond Gao Zhen himself. His wife and child have not been accused of any crime, yet they have reportedly been subject to harassment and intimidation and have been unable to leave China since his detention.
