Key facts
- Chinese artist Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison.
- Conviction for "infringing upon the reputation of heroes" through satirical artworks.
- Artworks central to the case include statues of Mao Zedong created before 2018.
- Gao Zhen was detained in August 2024 and has been in custody since.
- His wife plans to appeal the sentence, citing the artworks predated the law.
Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Sanhei People's Court in Hebei province for "infringing upon the reputation of heroes" through his satirical artworks. Gao, known internationally as part of the Gao Brothers duo for works critiquing authoritarianism and censorship, was arrested in August 2024 while visiting family in China. His wife, Zhao Yaliang, expressed outrage and stated that Gao plans to appeal the verdict, highlighting that the artworks in question, including a statue titled "Mao's Guilt" and the "Miss Mao" series, were created between 2005 and 2009, predating the 2018 law under which he was charged. Shane Yi, a researcher at Chinese Human Rights Defenders, described the sentence as a violation of freedom of expression, and Amnesty International criticized it as a deterrent to artistic expression. Western diplomats were reportedly barred from attending the trial, and Gao's wife and son have been prevented from leaving China.