China

Poets, Peaceniks and Protesters: Meet China’s Leading Dissidents

As Xi Jinping, the man widely touted to be China's next President, embarks on a trip to the U.S., Beijing's desire for political stability remains paramount. The past year has seen numerous crackdowns on dissent and arrests of Chinese activists. Last week, Zhu Yufu, a poet, was sentenced to seven years for "inciting subversion to state power." Meet Zhu and some of the other artists, activists and lawyers caught up in China's latest crackdown.

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Gao Zhisheng

By Feb. 10, 2012
Reuters

Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng in Beijing, Jan. 6, 2006.

Occupation: Lawyer
Status: Imprisoned

One of China’s most outspoken dissidents, Gao Zhisheng has repeatedly disappeared in mysterious circumstances. He is currently thought to be in detention in a Xinjiang prison for violating his three-year probation. In 2006, he was sentenced on subversion charges after he criticized the Chinese government and defended high-profile political and religious dissenters in court. Officials told Gao’s family the 45-year-old is undergoing a three-month “education” period. During one of his brief reappearances Gao told the Associated Press that Chinese security agents threatened, tortured and beat him regularly.

—by Kate Springer

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