UK – The Guardian, Aug. 25, 2026
Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison after already spending two years in detention
Gao Zhen, a prominent Chinese artist known for provocative sculptures of the former leader Mao Zedong, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of slandering China’s “heroes and martyrs”. The sentencing came two years after he was detained while visiting the country with his family, according to his wife and human rights groups.
The case has attracted international condemnation, largely because the artworks at the centre of the case were created more than 10 years before China created the law under which Gao was charged.
The law, which bans defamation of China’s heroes and martyrs, came into force in March 2018. Courts have previously used the law to charge people who challenge official accounts of Chinese history.
Gao, 70, a Chinese citizen and US permanent resident, was detained on 26 August 2024 after returning to China with his wife and son. Police later raided his studio near Beijing.
