As the Archbishop of Canterbury concludes his visit to China, grave human rights concerns are emerging, with the charging of a leading advocate for religious freedom and renewed fears over the death sentence of a church leader, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has reported.
Gao Zhisheng, a prominent human rights lawyer who has fearlessly defended religious freedom, has been charged with "inciting subversion of state power".
His lawyer, Mo Shaoping, has confirmed notification of the decision to charge Gao on 12 October after weeks of silence following Gao's removal by a dozen security officers on 15 August. Official notification of his arrest was only given to his wife over a month later on 21 September and he has been repeatedly denied access to his lawyer.
According to his lawyer, the charge means Gao may be facing years in prison. The measures taken against Gao for his peaceful activities have been met by international censure.
Gao, dubbed 'China's hero of 2005', has been a leading champion of religious freedom, defending important cases, including the prominent case of Beijing house church leader Pastor Cai Zhuohua. He has published reports and open letters over abuses of religious and other freedoms, including the mistreatment of Christians in Xinjiang and, most notably, the violations against the Falun Gong.
"His fearless pursuit of justice and his open letters to Chinese leaders have incurred the anger of the authorities and Gao has received a number of threats to his life and security, including being the target of several attempted "accidents", tells CSW.
