SANTA CLARA—A human rights lawyer has been missing in China for two years. However, his family in the United States were encouraged after receiving a letter from President Donald Trump.
China’s well-known lawyer and human rights activist, Gao Zhisheng, has been missing since August 2017.
His family and friends haven’t been able to contact him since then. They believe the Chinese government put him in prison.
“Our sole wish is that Gao Zhisheng is still alive. As long as he is still living, we have hope for a reunion,” said Geng He, Gao Zhisheng’s wife.
Mrs. He asked a pastor to help write an appeal to President Trump. This July, they received a reply.
“As a Nation, we believe that every human life has dignity. We continue to hope that, one day, oppressed and persecuted people around the world will enjoy the same universal human rights that we celebrate here at home,” wrote President Trump. “As president, I am committed to the advancement of freedom around the world, and will work to oppose the forces of repression and radicalism.”
“Actually, I didn’t have high hopes for writing a letter. Who knew, on July 26th, I received the letter,” said Jonathan Liu, pastor.
Familiar with our media, he told Mrs. He to inform the Chinese Epoch Times and NTD Television so that it can be reported there first. They chose to hold the news release at the Bay Area office in Santa Clara on Aug. 11.
As a devoted Christian, Gao Zhisheng criticized the Chinese Communist government’s human rights violations on religious groups like Christians and Falun Gong practitioners.
Since 2005, he wrote letters to China’s top leaders urging them to stop persecuting practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual meditation practice. He was imprisoned and tortured until his teeth fell out, and also now suffers from psychological abuse.
His wife and two children managed to escape to the United States, where they continue to petition for his release and to let the world know about the Communist regime’s cruelty.
“There’s a lot of hope I think for this cause. And to dealing with mainland China through the president. So I hope he can help get the release,” said David Rosenblum, a teacher who attended the event.
In 2012, a movie was made about him, Transcending Fear: The Story of Gao Zhisheng. In 2017, Gao wrote a book titled “Year 2017, Stand Up China—A Narration by Gao Zhisheng, a Human Rights Lawyer Under Torture,” predicting the downfall of the Chinese Communist Party.
Many people know of his story, and will continue to pressure the Chinese government to release Gao and let him reunite with his family.
