Senator, Wife of Detained Rights Activist Appeal for U.S. Help

[Joanne98]

The wife of China's most famous human rights lawyer was present during a Congressional session Thursday when Sen. Bryon Dorgan (D-N.D.) spoke on the Senate floor about the case of Gao Zhisheng, who remains detained in an unknown location since being kidnapped by Chinese officials in February.

Fri, Apr. 24, 2009 Posted: 05:51 PM EDT


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The wife of China’s most famous human rights lawyer was present during a Congressional session Thursday when Sen. Bryon Dorgan (D-N.D.) spoke on the Senate floor about the case of Gao Zhisheng, who remains detained in an unknown location since being kidnapped by Chinese officials in February.

Dorgan reminded members of the Senate that after Gao sent a letter to the U.S. Congress in 2007, he was kidnapped and severely tortured by Chinese authorities for over 50 days. Now two years later, officials have again kidnapped and detained Gao while refusing to offer even “the slightest word” about where he is, despite appeals from the U.S. government, other countries, non-governmental organizations and the media.

“And the Chinese government has said nothing,” Dorgan said, while pointing out that the Chinese government has signed or ratified most international human rights commitments which obligates the government to “come clean” about Gao.

“I call on and we call on today the Chinese government to allow Mr. Gao to have access to a lawyer, access to his family and to publicly state and justify the grounds for the continued detention of this courageous person," said the North Dakota senator.

Gao was last seen on Feb. 4 when about a dozen police officers hauled him off to an unknown location. He is a prominent Christian attorney known for defending underground Christians, persecuted Falun Gong, and human rights activists.

In 2007, he was imprisoned and tortured for writing a letter to the U.S. Congress that urged the United States to oppose the Beijing Olympics because of China’s rights abuses. Gao is considered dangerous by the Chinese government for making the international community aware of the country’s human rights violations.

Among the many forms of torture he endured, Gao revealed in an open letter released in February that he was forced to lie naked on the floor for 13 days and nights while his entire body was tortured with electric shocks.

His wife, Geng He, who escaped to the United States with their two children in March, pleaded with the U.S. Congress to help press China to free her husband. She told the lawmakers that her husband would console her when she worried about his safety, telling her that evil cannot win over good and those who uphold justice will always have help.

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http://christianpost.com/Intl/Human_rights/2009/04/senator-wife-of-detained-rights-activist-appeal-for-u-s-help-24/index.html

Sorry. We can't help. The Christians in America are pro-torture.

[Sultana]

1. Thanx for the broad brush, asshole

[midnight]

2. I don't know how much influence we have over a country who

helped inspire our own American attorney's on how to write are own torture program. This is so sad, this poor women coming to us.
I hope we are able to leverage this man's freedom.

[Doctor_J]

3. The Chinese Government went on to say, "He was not tortured, he was harshly interogated,

and anyway, the thought of the US lecturing anyone about torture makes us ROFLOAO".

Too bad Cheney and Hate Radio pised away all of our moral authority.

[ShortnFiery]

4. But China is our "most favored trading partner" - they must be completely ethical lest

we would not either recognize NOR do business with them. Right? :crazy: