July 4, 2011
Dear Member of Congress,
I am the wife of Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng. Now that I’m residing in the land of the free, the United States of America, I know the joy of freedom. But at the same time, I am suffering deeply and full of worries because there has been no news whatsoever of my husband since his most recent illegal detention by the Chinese Communists. Following his brief re-appearance in April 2010, I have once again lost contact with him, and it has now been a year and three months. As a wife, I have no clue where my husband is. When my children ask, “Where is daddy?” I have no answer. My septuagenarian parents ask me from time to time, “Any news of him?” The pain is like thousands of arrows piercing my heart and I often am unable to eat or sleep.
My husband is a lawyer, and for a long time, he persisted in taking on pro bono cases for the socially disadvantaged and the poor, from persecuted individuals to class action suits, including victims of forced demolitions and evictions, religious believers, and the case of the oil fields in northern Shaanxi province. Because of these cases, the authorities shut down his law office and revoked his lawyer’s license. He was arrested on August 15, 2006, and later sentenced by the authorities to three years in prison with a probation period of five years on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” During the probation period, he has been forced to disappear no less than six times, and each time he has been tortured. From his twisted face, I can imagine how much he has suffered, and I feel as though I have suffered the same thing. It makes me incredibly sad. All he was doing was upholding the principles of human kindness and following one’s conscience.
According to China’s own law, Gao Zhisheng should be coming home on August 14 this year. Furthermore, a United Nations investigation has determined that Gao Zhisheng was forced to disappear by the government. We demand that the Chinese Communist government immediately release Gao Zhisheng and compensate him for injuries caused. Whether the Chinese Communist government will let Gao Zhisheng come home still depends on pressure from the rest of the world. Therefore, I sincerely hope you can provide all the help you can so that Gao Zhisheng can regain his freedom as soon as possible and come home as scheduled, so that my children and I can know he is safe and sound, and so that all the people around the world who are concerned about him can be at peace about him.
Thank you very much for your help!
Sincerely yours,
Geng He
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
