Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, based in the US, has been tried in a closed-door court in China on charges of "defaming national heroes and martyrs" related to his satirical sculptures of former leader Mao Zedong. The one-day trial concluded without a verdict, and the artist faces up to three years in prison. His wife and young son, both US citizens, are under exit bans and unable to leave China.
This case highlights the Chinese government's tightening control over artistic expression and its application of retroactive laws, as Gao was tried for works created between 2005 and 2009 under a law enacted in 2018. It underscores the risks faced by dissident artists, the limitations on artistic freedom, and the international diplomatic tensions arising from such prosecutions, as EU diplomats were barred from attending the trial.