China: Artist Detained For One Year Without Trial

Gao Zhen, 69 years old, is a prominent artist in contemporary Chinese art and a member of the renowned Gao Brothers duo. On 26 August 2024, Gao was detained while traveling in China with his wife and son. Around 30 police officers raided his studio in Yanjiao, a town in Sanhe City, Hebei province. The authorities photographed his artworks, confiscated and sealed several sculptures – m st of which were created over a decade ago—before sealing the studio.

The following day, Gao’s wife was informed by the Sanhe City Public Security Bureau of his detention. He has since been held at the Sanhe City Detention Center on charges of “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs,” a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. Reliable sources report that this case has already been processed by the prosecutor’s office and submitted to the court and the trial is scheduled for mid-August.

In addition, from early May to late July 2025, Gao’s family has been unable to receive any correspondence from him. This suggests that his legally protected right to communicate with his family has been unjustly restricted or denied.  

His wife and young child have also suffered. Gao’s wife is banned from leaving the country under the pretext of “national security,” though no formal charges have been filed. Their 7-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, has the legal right to leave the country but is in practice unable to do so without being accompanied, ideally by his parents. The de facto travel ban has kept him out of school for a full year.   

Since the 1980s, the Gao Brothers have employed satirical humor to shed light on the atrocities of the Cultural Revolution, consistently challenging the limits of social commentary. Their work offers a sharp critique of the Cultural Revolution and former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, exposing the extent of the authoritarian practices employed during Mao’s regime. These subjects remain deeply sensitive and taboo in contemporary China.