Chinese Government Detains Visiting Lawyer

Gao Zhisheng – a Chinese lawyer known for advocacy of human rights in cases involving land, labor, and religion – was unable to attend a ceremony held on 6/30 at the Bacara Resort & Spa, where he would have been honored at the American Board of Trial Advocates’ annual conference. Despite pressure from the group, the Chinese government detained Gao and his family outside Beijing on 6/24, purportedly to ease political tensions until after the 10th anniversary of Chinese rule over Hong Kong.