Gao Zhen, a US-based dissident artist renowned for his satirical sculptures depicting China’s former leader Mao Zedong, has reportedly been put on trial in China. The 69-year-old artist faces accusations of “defaming national heroes and martyrs.”
Gao Zhen was detained in 2024 during a family visit to China from his home in New York. According to his wife, Zhao Yaliang, and Shane Yi, a researcher with the Chinese human rights defenders group, he now faces a potential prison sentence of up to three years.