CHINA—Renowned Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and his family are still under strict surveillance in their Beijing home.
On April 9, The Epoch Times received reports regarding the rigid isolation of Gao, which using his own words show “Even birds could not flee from my home.”
Gao was secretly arrested in Shangdong province on August 15, 2006 by the Chinese communist regime. Since then, the outside world has not heard his voice for eight months. On the afternoon of April 6, 2007 Gao managed to break through the communication blockage and make his first successful phone call to his long-time friend and supporter, Hu Jia.
Gao’s story—secret kidnapping, torture, and threats to his family and relatives to break his will—has attracted a lot of international media attention. Currently, his home is still under round-the-clock surveillance.
On December 22, 2006, Gao was tried behind closed door and sentenced to three years in prison on a subversion charge with a five-year reprieve and deprival of political rights for one year. After he was released and returned home, his whole family was put under house arrest. In his phone call to Hu Jia, Gao said that over 100 spies, plain clothes and uniformed police, surround his home every day, his home has become a prison, and his family and relatives have become hostages.
