Human Rights Foundation Files UN Petition for Chinese Dissident Artist Gao Zhen

The Human Rights Foundation has lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning Chinese artist Gao Zhen. The petition argues that his ongoing imprisonment constitutes arbitrary detention under international standards. Gao Zhen, aged 69 and a permanent U.S. resident, was taken into custody in China in 2024. Authorities charged him with slandering national heroes and martyrs, a legal provision enacted in 2021. This charge relates to his sculptural practice, which repurposes historical and religious figures to critique authoritarianism and censorship. In 2024, police confiscated over 100 artworks from his Sanhe City studio, including pieces like 'Miss Mao' and 'The Execution of Christ' that question official narratives. The foundation contends these works were created years before the relevant law existed, making its application retroactive. Gao Zhen's trial occurred in a single day on March 30, 2026, after multiple delays, and a verdict remains pending. The petition details alleged rights violations such as prolonged solitary confinement, denial of medical care despite poor health including stroke risk and chronic pain, and overcrowded detention conditions. In October 2025, Human Rights Watch also urged China to drop the charges, noting Gao Zhen had fainted due to health issues. Following his arrest, 181 Chinese artists, writers, and intellectuals signed a release petition, drawing parallels between current government actions and historical persecutions during the Cultural Revolution, a period during which Gao Zhen's father died in detention. The case highlights tensions between artistic expression and state control in China.