Chinese artist sentenced to 3 years in prison over satirical Mao statues
- Chinese artist Gao Zhen was sentenced to three years in prison for infringing upon the reputation of heroes.
- He was arrested in August 2024 while visiting family in China and has been in custody since then.
- The charges relate to his satirical artworks, including a statue called Mao's Guilt and the Miss Mao series.
- His wife stated that Gao plans to appeal the sentence, which has been criticized by human rights advocates.
- The court did not respond to requests for comment.
Chinese artist Gao Zhen was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday for infringing upon the reputation of heroes over his satirical works of art, including statues of China’s former leader Mao Zedong.
U.S.-based Gao, who was part of an artistic duo known internationally as the Gao Brothers, was arrested while visiting family in China in August 2024. He has been in official custody since then.
The charges against Gao relate to artistic works that China’s authorities claim insulted revolutionary figures, including a 2009 statue called Mao’s Guilt, which shows the former leader kneeling in repentance.
His wife, Zhao Yaliang, stated that Gao plans to appeal the sentence, which has been described by human rights advocates as a violation of freedom of expression. The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
中国艺术家因讽刺毛泽东雕像被判入狱三年
中国艺术家高震于周二被判入狱三年，因其讽刺艺术作品侵犯了英雄的名誉，包括中国前领导人毛泽东的雕像。
身在美国的高震是国际知名的高兄弟艺术组合的一部分，他于2024年8月在探亲时被捕，自那时起一直被官方拘留。
对高震的指控与中国当局声称侮辱革命人物的艺术作品有关，包括2009年的雕像《毛的罪责》，该雕像展示了前领导人跪下忏悔的形象。
他的妻子赵亚良表示，高震计划上诉此判决，人权倡导者将其描述为对言论自由的侵犯。法院未对此请求作出回应。