Chinese dissident artist jailed for 3 years over Mao sculptures, family and rights group say
Gao Zhen will challenge the maximum penalty after a court said his artworks insulted heroes and martyrs, rights groups said it deters independent expression.
- On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Sanhe City People's Court sentenced artist Gao Zhen to three years in prison for "insulting heroes," though the United States resident has decided to appeal the conviction and sentence.
- Authorities applied a law banning criticism of national heroes retroactively to artworks Gao created between 2005 and 2009, including a sculpture titled "Guilt" depicting Mao Zedong kneeling in repentance.
- Gao, 70, suffers from multiple health conditions including lumbar spine disease, while his wife, Zhao Yaliang, and son remain subject to an exit ban on alleged national security grounds preventing them from leaving China.
- Amnesty International China Director Sarah Brooks called the conviction a "deterrent" against artistic expression, while Chinese Human Rights Defenders researcher Shane Yi described the ruling as "a very clear case of a violation of a person's freedom of expression."
- This case reflects the state's increased grip on expression, and Gao's legal team plans to challenge the verdict, hoping to reunite with family in the United States despite the restrictive environment.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Under head of state Xi, the Chinese judiciary is increasingly taking action against critical artists. A court sentenced Gao Zhen to a prison sentence. His offense: he had made provocative statues of Mao years ago. By B. Eyssel.
The Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison for insulting 'Chinese heroes'. Gao creates satirical works, such as statues of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The ruling is based on a law introduced by China in 2018. With that law against "infringement on the reputation of heroes," virtually all criticism of Chinese leaders was banned. One of Gao's most famous works is *Mao's Guilt*. It is a sculpture of a kneeling M…
Gao Zhen takes up sensitive issues in China, such as the Cultural Revolution or the Tiananmen Square massacre in his art. He lives in the USA, but is arrested during a visit to China in 2024. Behind closed doors, he is tried.
Chinese dissident artist jailed for 3 years over Mao sculptures, family and rights group say
Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, known for making satirical sculptures of former leader Mao Zedong, was handed the maximum three-year sentence for "defaming national heroes and martyrs" by a Chinese court on Tuesday, his wife and a rights group said.
Chinese artist Gao Zhen gets 3-year jail term over Mao satire
Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison over satirical works depicting Mao Zedong. The ruling has drawn sharp criticism as a setback for artistic freedom and free expression in China.
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