Lawyer Gao Still Alive, Insider Says

Chinese human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, is reportedly still alive.
Lawyer Gao Still Alive, Insider Says
A group of protestors including a lawyers concern group call for the release of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng (seen on poster) as they protest in Hong Kong on June 17, 2009. (Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images)
1/21/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/gao-88526663.jpg" alt="A group of protestors including a lawyers concern group call for the release of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng (seen on poster) as they protest in Hong Kong on June 17, 2009. (Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images)" title="A group of protestors including a lawyers concern group call for the release of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng (seen on poster) as they protest in Hong Kong on June 17, 2009. (Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1823795"/></a>
A group of protestors including a lawyers concern group call for the release of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng (seen on poster) as they protest in Hong Kong on June 17, 2009. (Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images)

SYDNEY—Chinese human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, is reportedly still alive.

Contrary to recent reports that Gao might have been killed by Chinese security forces, a “well-placed source” in China’s security bureau has told an Australian reporter that lawyer Gao is alive.

‘‘Gao is still alive at present … he’s not missing,’' the source told John Garnaut, Beijing correspondent for Fairfax News.

Lawyer Gao, China’s most outspoken human rights lawyer, has defended Falun Gong practitioners, petitioners, and house Christians when no other lawyers dared.

He has been arrested, restrained, tortured, and harassed for the last five years and has been missing now for 11 months.

Last week, reports surfaced that Gao’s brother, Gao Zhiyi, had been told that Gao had “got lost and went missing.” Many feared that it was a sign that Gao had died of torture at the hands of China’s Public Security Bureau.

However the Herald’s source has said his organization knows where Gao is being held but he was not at liberty to pass on that information.

He reportedly gave no indication of the state of the courageous lawyer’s well being or his future prospects.

Lawyer Gao, a Christian, has refused to be quieted about corruption, injustice, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and the failure of rule of law in China.

He has written open letters to China’s National Congress, to Chinese President Hu Jintao, and Premier Wen Jiabo, detailing individual cases of injustice while highlighting the hypocrisy of lawmakers in China.

In 2007 he wrote a letter to the U.S. Congress asking its members to think twice about the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the face of China’s atrocious human rights record.

“Behavior that is commonly considered to be too degrading for human beings is enforced in my country as [mere] political tasks” he wrote. “Today, as we approach the Beijing Olympic Games, I ask you to pay attention to the ongoing human rights disaster in China, and wish you to forward my appeal to the whole world.”

For his trouble, every effort has been made by Chinese authorities to destroy Gao’s life. His practice was closed; attempts were made on his life; and he, his wife and their two children were placed under house arrest, suffering physical and psychological abuse for months at a time.

In 2007, Gao managed to release a horrific account of his 50 days of torture by Chinese security officials. The descriptions were harrowing and sent shock waves through the international legal fraternity.

Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott, the vice chairman of the European Parliament, who has communicated with Gao personally, Mr. David Kilgour, former secretary of state (Asia-Pacific) for Canada and international human rights lawyer David Matas are just some of the international statesmen who have campaigned heavily on lawyer Gao’s behalf.

To no avail. In February 2009 Gao was kidnapped from his hometown in northern Shaanxi Province, reportedly by seven thugs.

His wife, Geng He, and two children had been able to escape China before his disappearance and were granted political asylum by the U.S. in March 2009. However the family lives in continual stress.

Gao’s 13-year-old daughter Gege was recently hospitalized in the U.S. for complications from mental duress.