Foreign Office Minister deeply concerned by reports of further detention of Gao Zhisheng
Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne has spoken after reports that the Chinese lawyer and human rights defender Gao Zhisheng has been returned to prison for three years.
Speaking today the Foreign Office Minister said:
“I am deeply concerned by reports that Chinese lawyer and human rights defender Gao Zhisheng, whose probation period was due to expire this week, has been returned to prison for three years. Gao has now been missing since March 2010. I am concerned by reports that Gao has suffered torture and mistreatment, and by the apparently extra-legal nature of his detention. I repeat calls previously made by the UK Government for the Chinese authorities to provide, as a matter of urgency, information regarding Gao’s wellbeing and location.”