In 2007, a PRC appeals court upheld a lower court's judgment finding Guo Qizhen (郭起真) guilty of inciting subversion of state power on the grounds that he "distributed a large number of articles on the 'Democracy Forum' website, attacked and cursed the State government, and disseminated speech that damaged the State regime, the socialist system, and the judicial system." Below is a translation of one of the articles cited by court: "Announcement Regarding Participating in Gao Zhisheng's Hunger Strike." A full translation of the court's judgment can be found on p. 365 of "State Prosecutions of Speech in the People's Republic of China: Cases Illustrating the Application of National Security and Public Order Laws to Political and Religious Expression," available for free download at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4168412. More information about civil rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng can be found here:
- Almost Every Major Chinese Internet Company Bans Searches for Gao Zhisheng: http://blog.feichangdao.com/2013/05/almost-every-major-chinese-internet.html
- Global Times: Gao Zhisheng's "Name Is Blocked On the Web." Meanwhile, Baidu Stops Showing Censorship Notice for Searches for "Gao Zhisheng": http://blog.feichangdao.com/2014/08/global-times-gao-zhishengs-name-is.html
Announcement Regarding Participating in Gao Zhisheng's Hunger Strike
(March 16, 2006)
Within a 12 hour period yesterday, I received calls from three foreign journalists, specifically Radio Free Asia, The Epoch Times, and Voice of Hope. The following are the answers I gave to the questions of common concern of the three journalists. And I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to them for the interview!
1. What do you think of Gao Zhisheng as a person?
Perhaps it is because I have suffered grievances for over the past twelve years, enduring too many ups and down in a fickle world where I am limited by my own narrow interests, but in my heart I long for there to be more good people like lawyer Gao. Good people who will pay attention to and help more poor people in need. Therefore, when I think about the fact that lawyer Gao spends one-third of his time and energy every year to provide legal aid for people who have no financial means, I am very moved, even to the point of tears.
In particular, over the last ten days I have read almost all the articles about Lawyer Gao, and I have come to understand more about why Lawyer Gao does not stand by doing nothing and remaining silent in order to avoid the "third rail" of Falun Gong that everyone fears so much. Instead, he bravely stepped forward and faced the flames, and endured all kinds of pressure and terror from the government, and he has been able to fight with special persistence to this day without turning back.
Lawyer Gao grew up in an impoverished family, and even the countryside where he lives now is extremely poor. As young man with outstanding academic achievements and ambition he had to drop out of middle school due to poverty. One can imagine how irresistible the temptation of money and career would be for such a poor person.
Frankly speaking, if I had experienced as rough a life as Lawyer Gao, a lawyer who only had a middle school education, obtained his lawyer qualification through self-study, and worked hard in a capital full of talent without any social background, and miraculously reached the peak of my own law firm, then I would certainly have stayed in line and tacitly abided by the "iron law" that can only be understood and not spoken, and enjoy the fruits of white-collar aristocratic life. I would take my comfort in being an enormous hog and a zombie. I might even find 10,000 reasons for my depravity and jadedness.
But there is more than one thought that separates angels from devils! We can be assured that human history will forever be inscribed with the holy love that Lawyer Gao brought to the world. In the presence of such an angel, if I were to continue to remain silent I would be a waste of a human being.
2. Why do you want to participate in Gao Zhisheng's hunger strike to protest government persecution?
First of all, what Lawyer Gao has done in recent months is in full compliance with the legal rights conferred on every citizen by the law. In spite of this, the government has imposed nearly three months of residential surveillance, internal and external investigation, and spreading rumors against Lawyer Gao. This is not only a violation of the legitimate rights and interests of a citizen and a very serious and particularly egregious violation of the criminal law, it is also a challenge to a cause recognized by the world as a just one.
Therefore, any Chinese person with a conscience, every kind person, should firmly support lawyer Gao Zhisheng's just actions. Lawyer Gao did his best to help the poor and those who needed attention when he was at the height of his success, and he deserves more attention when he is facing great losses. To pay attention to Lawyer Gao means to pay attention to the future of the Chinese nation; to support Lawyer Gao means to support the just actions of the early rejuvenation of the nation.
Other reasons for participating in Gao Zhisheng's hunger strike are: I reported Ma Guichen, the leader of that unit [n.b. Ma was the Director and Secretary of Housing Management Office in Cangzhou, Hebei), for violating the law and discipline, and as a result I was arrested and jailed many times and dismissed from public office. In addition, out of concern for two innocent people who were sentenced to death on suspicion of murder (who were acquitted in 1999), I complained to the relevant authorities, and was twice charged with subversion of state power and sent to a black prison, and suffered 12 years of imprisonment and brutal persecution. Furthermore, in Cangzhou, Cui Hongtao (tel. 0317-2224398, his mother Wang Jinru), an innocent citizen in Renqiu City, Cangzhou, has been detained in prison for more than ten years. He was sentenced to death four times, but to this day the case remains open due to insufficient evidence.
3. When did you join the hunger strike?
In view of the deteriorating human rights situation in China, I decided to go on a hunger strike from 12:00 on the 8th to 12:00 on the 9th in order to respond to and participate in lawyer Gao Zhisheng's hunger strike.
And for the nearby hunger strikers who supported Lawyer Gao, they provided their current residence as a venue for activities. Contact Telephone: 0317-3077580.
The hunger strike will continue until the government stops all actions infringing upon Lawyer Gao, allows Lawyer Gao's office to resume normal operations, and the my unjust cases are resolved openly and justly.
4. What is your appeal to the global media and the world?
I hereby strongly appeal to the just forces all over the world to pay attention to China, and make unremitting efforts to push our country, which has a population of more than one billion people, to rid itself of barbaric rule as soon as possible, to make a peaceful transition to a democratic system as soon as possible, and to integrate into the mainstream global civilized society as soon as possible.
关于参加高智晟律师绝食抗议活动的声明/郭起真
(2006年3月16日)
昨天十二小时以内，我收到三个境外记者采访的电话，他们分别是亚洲自由电台、大纪元和希望之声。下面就三位记者共同关注的问题做以下答复。并对她们的采访表示衷心的感谢！
1、你怎么样看待高智晟本人？ (博讯 boxun.com)
也许是讫今为止我蒙受了整整十二年的冤屈，经受了太多太多酸甜苦辣和世态炎凉，又仅仅囿于个人狭隘的利益，内心自然渴望着像高律师这样的好人多点，再多点，好人都能够关注和帮助更多需要帮助的穷人。所以，当我知道高律师每年要用三分之一的时间和精力，来为没有经济能力的人承担法律援助，内心就特别的感动，甚至深深感动的热泪涌流。
特别是最近十几天，我几乎看了介绍高律师的所有文章，更加了解了高律师为什么会在法轮功这个世人唯恐避之不及的"高压线"上没有袖手旁观，没有听之任之，没有保持沉默，而是勇敢的挺身而出、引火烧身，而且承受着政府方面的各种压力和恐怖，还能够义无反顾的特别执着的奋斗到今天。
高律师是生长在一个特别贫穷的家庭，即使是现在他所居住的农村也相当的贫穷。一个学习特别优秀，胸怀大志的少年因贫穷中学辍学，可想而知金钱和事业对于如此贫穷的人，是会有多么不可抗拒的诱惑力。
坦率的讲，如果我经历了高律师如此坎坷的人生道路，一个仅有着中学学历，靠自己的刻苦自学获得律师资格，在人才济济的京城又没有任何的社会背景下打拼，竟然奇迹般的拥有了自己的律师事务所，说的上是达到了如日中天的颠峰时刻，我肯定会按部就班、心照不宣的去恪守只可意会不应言传的"铁律"，轻而易举的坐享白领贵族的生活，从而心安理得的充当丧尽天良的"大大陆猪"和一块行尸走肉。我甚至可能会为自己的堕落和世俗找出一万个理由！
但是，魔鬼与天使之间，岂止是在一念之间呀！想必人类历史终将永远的铭刻高律师给人间带来的圣爱。面对如此的天使，如果再保持沉默，真的是枉披了一块人皮。
1、为什么要参加高智晟以绝食形式抗议政府迫害活动？
首先，高律师在近几个月所做的一切，完全符合法律赋予每一个公民的合法权力，而政府因此对高律师采取停业、兴师动众的近三个月的监视居住、内查外调和造谣生事、粗暴的骚扰，以及发展到了蓄意谋杀的境地，这不仅是对一个公民合法权益的践踏和非常严重、特别恶劣的触犯刑律行为，也是与全世界认同的正义事业的挑战。
因此，任何一位有良知的中国人，每一位善良的人，都应该旗帜鲜明的坚决支持高智晟律师的正义行动。高律师在"春风得意"的时候尽全力的帮助穷人和需要关注的人，他在"败走麦城"时，理应得到更多人的关注。关注高律师，就是关注中华民族的未来；支持高律师，就意味着支持民族的早日振兴的正义行动。
另外一个参加高智晟绝食活动的原因就是：不仅仅是因为我举报本单位领导马桂臣的违法乱纪行为，多次被抓监入狱和开除公职，而且因为我关注俩位涉嫌杀人而打入死牢的无辜百姓（已于99年无罪释放），并向有关部门喊冤，两次被扣上颠覆国家政权罪打入黑牢，蒙受了十二年的残酷迫害。而即使在沧州的今天，沧州辖区的任邱市一位无辜的百姓崔洪涛（电话0317－2224398，其母王金如），在监狱里关押了十几年，四次判处死刑均因证据不足，至今没有结案。
2、何时加入到绝食活动中？
鉴于国内的人权状况日益恶化，我决定在八日中午12点绝食至九日中午12点，以此响应和参加高智晟律师的绝食活动。
并且为附近声援高律师的绝食人士，提供自己现居住的住宅为活动场所。联系电话：0317－3077580。
在政府没有停止对高律师的一切侵权行动，并恢复高律师的事务所正常营业之前；我的冤案没有得到公开、公正的解决之前，会持续的进行绝食活动。
3、你对世界媒体和各界有什么呼吁？
在此特别强烈的呼吁全世界的正义力量都来一起关注中国，为推动我们这个拥有十几亿人口的大国，早日摆脱野蛮统治，尽快和平过渡到民主制度，早日的融入到文明世界的主流社会而不懈努力。
