China Aid Association
Photo: Delivery of petition on behalf of Gao Zhisheng to Chinese Embassy
(WASHINGTON, DC – April 29, 2009) On April 27 ChinaAid delivered more than 50,000 signatures to the U.S. Secretary of State Clinton representing concerned citizens in the U.S. and around the world who are asking for the immediate release of Gao Zhisheng, a Christian human rights attorney who was kidnapped by Chinese officials more than 80 days ago. Copies of the petition have also been given to the U.S. Congress and the Chinese Embassy.
Gao Zhisheng was last seen on February 4 being hauled away by Chinese police officers. He has defended persecuted Christians and others who have been abused by the Chinese government for their beliefs. Sources inside China say he is undergoing severe torture. The petition is the first installment of signatures on behalf of Gao.
ChinaAid will continue the petition and calls all those concerned to sign the petition at www.FreeGao.com and continue to pressure the Chinese government for his release. The petition delivery to the U.S. State Department is the latest in a series of actions on Gao’s behalf.
Last Thursday, Gao’s wife, Geng He, together with ChinaAid founder and president, Bob Fu met with Senator Bryon Dorgan, Co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and presented him with a copy of the petition. The same day, the Senator spoke from the Senate floor about Gao Zhisheng’s case, “[The] Chinese government has signed or ratified most of the international human rights commitments that require it to come clean about Mr. Gao. And I call on and we call on today the Chinese government to allow Mr. Gao to have access to a lawyer, access to his family and to publicly state and justify the grounds for the continued detention of this courageous person.”
Sign the petition and send e-mails to Chinese government officials on Gao’s behalf at www.FreeGao.com.
View video of Bob Fu and Geng He’s meeting at Senator Dorgan’s office to present him with the more than 50,000 signatures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdk0dHFEj10
Read Senator Dorgan’s speech from the Senate floor.
Read Geng He’s open letter to the U.S. Congress.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
