Gao Zhen

Gao Zhen, a U.S. national, is a member of the “Gao Brothers,” an internationally acclaimed Chinese artist duo. For decades, the duo’s art has pushed the boundaries and tested the limits of the regime’s tolerance of artistic expression, with some of their best-known works confronting the authoritarian legacy and violence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Now, at 70, Gao is behind bars. He was arrested in August 2024 for three sculptures he created from 2006 to 2009, even though the law under which he would be indicted did not take effect until 2018, a decade later. Prosecutors have sought to bridge that gap in the timeline by treating the sculpture’s later circulation — including online images and reproductions — as post-2018 conduct. Gao’s case marks the CCP’s escalation from censoring politically sensitive expressions to criminally prosecuting an artist who continued to resist its restrictions.

On March 30, 2026, after Gao had spent 581 days in pretrial detention, his closed-door trial lasted a single day. Neither his wife nor members of the public, including foreign diplomats who attempted to observe the hearing, were permitted to attend. Almost five months later, on August 25th, with his wife and son being denied out of the courtroom, Gao Zhen received a three-year prison sentence, the full term sought by prosecutors. After already spending two years in detention, he has to serve the final year. Gao Zhen plans to appeal.