Here's the press release from the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group who congratulate Beijing human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng for being awarded the The International Human Rights Lawyer Award
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At 1 p.m. on 6 August 2010, which is 122 days since Lawyer Gao went missing once again after appearing for a short period of time, the ABA granted the ?International Human Rights Lawyer Award? to the famous Chinese human rights lawyer during the opening ceremony of the Section Council meeting held annually by the ABA Section of International Law in San Francisco. Lawyer Gao?s 17-year-old daughter Geng Ge (Grace) accepted the award on behalf of him, shedding tears amid excitement. She said that the award represented the assurance given by a lot of people around the world in support of his father?s advocacy of human rights.
Having 400,000 lawyers as its members, the ABA considers award candidates from different parts of the world. Penny Wakefield, the ABA?s awards chairperson, said that getting the ?International Human Rights Lawyer Award? is never easy, and Lawyer Gao is definitely a well-deserved awardee. She believes that the presentation of this award is not only to recognize Lawyer Gao?s contribution to human rights protection, but also to emphasize that China is violating the rule of law and basic human rights standards.
Lawyer Gao has long been fighting for the rights of the vulnerable groups by providing them with legal assistance. He wrote three open letters to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao in 2005 to demand the central government to stop persecuting Falun Gong members, but he was charged with ?inducing subversion to state powers? and was sentenced to three years imprisonment, suspended for five years, in December 2006. He has since been under severe surveillance, beaten up and subject to arbitrary detention.
On 4 February 2009, when Lawyer Gao was still serving his suspended sentence, the public security officers suddenly took him away from his home, and no one heard of him ever since. More than a year later, on 28 March 2010, Lawyer Gao communicated with the outside world on the phone. However, his phone stopped operating just ten days later, not long after he was arranged to be interviewed by the Associated Press. Until now, he is still missing. Lawyer Gao?s wife Geng He said, ?I hope this award will help compel the China government to release my husband.? Geng and her children sought political asylum in the United States in early 2009 and they are now living in New York.
The International Human Rights Lawyer Award given to Lawyer Gao has drawn widespread concern about his case and the plight of other international human rights lawyers around the world. The ABA Section of International Law had also issued a letter urging for promotion of the rule of law and greater protection for lawyers in China.
China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group believes that the International Human Rights Lawyer Award presented to Lawyer Gao by the American lawyers can encourage other mainland human rights lawyers to continue their rights-protection work. However, we express strong concern about Lawyer Gao being held incommunicado. We demand the Chinese government to immediately account for Gao?s whereabouts, stop persecuting human rights lawyers in China, seriously implement the rule of law and respect the rights of lawyers.
China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group
11 August 2010
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????????????????????????????(American Bar Association (ABA))2010???????????( International Human Rights Lawyer Award)?
2010?8?6??????1??????????????????122????????????????????????????????????????????????????????17?????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????Penny Wakefield??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????2005?????????????????????????????????????????2006?12??????????????????????????????????????????????
2009?2?4????????????????????????????????????????????????3?28???????????? 4?7?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????2009????????????????????????
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2010?8?11?
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International Law Prof Blog (????????)?????
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/international_law/2010/08/gao.html
Press Release by Washington-based Freedow Now (Freedow Now ???)?????
DISAPPEARED CHINESE LAWYER GAO RECEIVES ABA?S INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER
AWARD
http://www.chinaaid.org/downloads/sb_chinaaid/GaoZhishengreceivesABAInternationalHumanRight.pdf
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http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/10/8/7/n2988516.htm
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Reference:
International Law Prof Blog:
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/international_law/2010/08/gao.html
Press Release by Washington-based ?Freedow Now?:
Disappeared Chinese Lawyer Gao Receives ABA?s International Human Rights Lawyer Award
http://www.chinaaid.org/downloads/sb_chinaaid/GaoZhishengreceivesABAInternationalHumanRight.pdf
Epoch Times news report on 7 August 2010 (Chinese):
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/10/8/7/n2988516.htm
