Key facts
- Chinese artist Gao Zhen was sentenced to three years in prison by a Chinese court.
- The U.S. State Department stated it has "significant concerns" regarding Gao Zhen's case.
- U.S. diplomats were denied entry to the sentencing hearing.
- Gao Zhen was convicted under China's "Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs" for "defaming national heroes and martyrs."
- Gao Zhen, known for satirical sculptures of Mao Zedong, was detained in August 2024.
The U.S. State Department has expressed "significant concerns" over the three-year prison sentence given to Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, who was convicted on Tuesday by a Chinese court. A spokesperson for the State Department stated that the U.S. has "significant concerns" regarding the case, noting that the alleged actions for which Gao Zhen was convicted occurred years before the law under which he was sentenced was enacted. The U.S. affirmed its support for the right to freedom of expression, including through art.