October 14, 2026
Chinese artist Gao Zhen (高兟), the elder member of the internationally known Gao Brothers artistic duo, is in deteriorating health in detention and has appealed his conviction, Amnesty International said in a new urgent action issued October 2, 2026.
Gao Zhen, 70, a U.S. permanent resident, was detained on August 26, 2024, at the family’s studio in Sanhe, Hebei, near Beijing, shortly before he was expected to return to the United States. On March 30, 2026, he was tried behind closed doors on charges of “slandering China’s heroes and martyrs” — a prosecution based on artworks he created between 2005 and 2009. On August 25, 2026, the Sanhe City People’s Court sentenced him to the maximum three-year prison term under that charge; his term ends August 25, 2027.
According to Amnesty International’s Third UA 106/24 (October 2, 2026), The day after his sentencing, Gao Zhen vomited blood several times and was taken from the detention center to a hospital for examination. His immediate symptoms have since subsided, but the cause remains unknown. Amnesty says he has appealed the verdict and the case has been transferred to the Langfang Intermediate People’s Court.
Amnesty also reports that Gao Zhen suffers from lumbar spine disease and fluid accumulation in his knees, and that he has collapsed several times during detention. His communication with his family has been severely restricted since May 2025, according to the organization.
The same urgent action documents the punishment extended to Gao Zhen’s family. Amnesty reports that his wife and their young son have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, and restrictions including a de facto exit ban since his detention — despite not being accused of any crime. The boy, eight years old and a U.S. citizen with the legal right to leave China, cannot do so in practice without an accompanying adult; the travel ban has disrupted his schooling for more than two years.
Amnesty is calling on the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Gao Zhen, ensure he receives adequate and independent medical assessment and treatment, and lift the restrictions on his family so they can leave the country freely and safely.
Context: Gao Zhen formed the Gao Brothers duo with his younger brother Gao Qiang (born 1962). Their work across sculpture, painting, photography, installation, and performance has examined Chinese history, state power, and social change since the emergence of the Chinese avant-garde in the 1980s; they participated in the landmark China/Avant-Garde exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in 1989.
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Sources
- Amnesty International, Third UA: 106/24, Index ASA 17/1527/2026 (October 2, 2026): https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/1527/2026/en/
- Amnesty International Canada, “China: Artist sentenced to maximum prison term for his art” (updated October 10, 2026): https://amnesty.ca/urgent-actions/china-artist-sentenced-to-maximum-prison-term-for-his-art/
- ANI via WebIndia123, “China faces rights backlash over jailing of artist Gao Zhen” (August 26, 2026): https://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/World/20260826/4490989.html
- Devdiscourse, “China faces rights backlash over jailing of artist Gao Zhen” (August 2026): https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3968307-china-faces-rights-backlash-over-jailing-of-artist-gao-zhen
- ChannelDraw, “Gao Zhen: Three Years in Prison for Making Art” (August 27, 2026): https://www.channeldraw.org/2026/08/27/freedom-for-gao-zhen/
- The Daily Brit, “China: Maximum sentence for artist Gao Zhen is an assault on artistic freedom” (August 2026): https://thedailybrit.co.uk/china-maximum-sentence-for-artist-gao-zhen-is-an-assault-on-artistic-freedom/
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