Guo Feixiong
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Guo Feixiong 郭飞雄 | |
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| Born | 2 August 1966 |
| Occupation(s) | lawyer, human rights activist |
| Spouse | Zhang Qing |
| Children | 2 |
| Weiquan lawyers |
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Guo Feixiong (simplified Chinese: 郭飞雄; traditional Chinese: 郭飛雄) born 2 August 1966)[1] is the pen name of Yang Maodong (杨茂东/楊茂東), a Chinese human rights legal activist from Guangdong province who is often identified with the Weiquan movement. Guo is known as a dissident writer and "barefoot lawyer", who has worked on several controversial issues to defend the rights of marginalized groups. Prior to his 2006 imprisonment, Guo worked as a legal advisor to the Shanghai Shengzhi Law Firm.[2]
Early life
[edit]Guo was born on 1966 in Gucheng County, Hebei. During the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to the countryside with his parents for nine years, where they experienced poverty. In July 1988, he graduated from the Department of Philosophy of East China Normal University in Shanghai, and was assigned to work at Wuhan Medical College for Staff and Workers, where he served as a philosophy teacher. Guo actively participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests. In 1991 he went to Guangdong, where he was engaged in various occupations. From 1993 to 2001, he mainly engaged in private publishing, and then made a living by writing.[3]
Legal career
[edit]In 2005 and 2006, human rights groups reported that Guo was taken into custody and beaten on multiple occasions for his human rights advocacy, including his work on the Taishi village standoff. The beating of Guo Feixiong was reportedly one of the catalysts behind a rolling nationwide hunger strike organized by Guo's friend and associate Gao Zhisheng.[4]
Guo was arrested on 30 September 2006 and detained on charges of "illegal business activity" connection with the publication of a book on a political scandal in Liaoning province, Shenyang Political Earthquake. After being held in pre-trial detention for 17 months, he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment at the Meizhou Prison on 14 November 2007 in what was characterized as a "trial marked with serious procedural irregularities."[5] In addition to his sentence, Guo was fined 40,000 yuan. Family members reported that Guo was tortured in custody, deprived of sleep, and shocked with electric batons.[2][6]
Guo was released on 13 September 2011, and stated that he remained committed to the cause of human rights advocacy.[2]
On 8 August 2013, Guo was again arrested on suspicion of "gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place". On 10 December 2013, the Tianhe District Branch of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau recommended that Guo be indicted for the crime of "gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place", along with Sun Desheng, another activist.[7]
On 29 October 2013, the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations held a hearing on the circumstances surrounding China's detention of Guo Feixiong.[8]
Guo is the recipient of the 2015 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.[9]
On 28 January 2021, Guo was arrested by the border inspection on the grounds of 'endangering national security' at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, when he was about to board a flight to the United States to visit his cancer-stricken wife.[10]
Guo was again detained in December 2021 and formally arrested on the charge of "subversion to state power" on 12 January 2022, two days after the death of his wife, Zhang Qing, in the United States. He had repeatedly pleaded with authorities to be allowed to visit her and his children after she had been diagnosed in January 2021 with terminal illness.[11]
Following the death of Zhang in January 2022, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price issued a statement where he requested that the Chinese authorities must grant Guo humanitarian relief and allow his travel to the United States to be reunited with his children and grieve the passing of his wife.[12]
On 11 May 2023, Guo was found guilty of inciting subversion of state power to a prison term of eight years. Diplomats from several countries, including the U.S. embassy, said they were prevented from attending the trial. The U.S. embassy in China said that they “continue to call for Mr. Guo's speedy release so he may be reunited with his family."[13]
Personal life
[edit]Guo was married to Zhang Qing, with whom he had two children; a son and a daughter. Zhang and children fled their Guangzhou home in January 2009 and fled to the United States from Thailand, where they were granted political asylum in November that year.[14][15] From the US, Zhang continued to advocate for the freedom of her husband.[16] In January 2021, Zhang was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer. As a result, Guo sent an open letter where he requested to be allowed to leave China and reunite with her,[17] which was rejected by the authorities. He was arrested in January 2021 at Shanghai airport as he tried to visit his dying wife. [18] Zhang died on 10 January 2022, at the age of 55.[19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Human Rights in China, "About the Individual: Guo Feixiong (a.k.a. Yang Maodong)," Incorporating Responsibility 2008, September 2008.
- ^ a b c Human Rights in China, Rights Defender Guo Feixiong Released from Prison; Remains Committed to Rights Work, 13 Sept 2011.
- ^ "魏京生基金会第三届"魏京生中国民主斗士奖"对郭飞雄、周志荣、林牧的颁奖词". 魏京生基金會. 2006-12-05. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
- ^ 'China Detains Top Guangdong Rights Lawyer Guo Feixiong,' Radio Free Asia, 15 Sept 2006.
- ^ Human Rights in China, "Rights Defender Guo Feixiong Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison", 13 Nov 2007.
- ^ "Chinese Rights Lawyer Beaten, Staging Hunger Strike in Prison", Radio Free Asia, 28 Dec 2007
- ^ Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, Tianhe District Branch, "Opinion Recommending Indictment", GZ PSB Tianhe Indict. (2013) No. 03990, 10 December 2013.
- ^ Guo Feixiong and Freedom of Expression in China: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, October 29, 2013
- ^ Thoolen, Hans (12 September 2015). 2015 Front Line Defenders Award to Chinese Guo Feixiong (Yang Maodong) Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ "郭飞雄妻子张青致信联合国人权官员求救 接受VOA专访: 盼夫来美团聚". VOA Chinese. February 5, 2021. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ Davidson, Helen (18 January 2022). "Chinese activist told he could not visit dying wife is re-arrested". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ "The Passing of Zhang Qing, Wife of Human Rights Defender Guo Feixiong". state.gov. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ Kirton, David; Pomfret, James (2023-05-11). "China hands eight-year jail term to activist at trial barred to diplomats". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ Zhang, Min (2009-11-19). "Asylum for Activist's Family". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
- ^ "郭飞雄妻儿获批美国政治庇护". BBC News. 2009-11-22. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Lau, Mimi (2022-01-22). "Wife of missing Chinese activist dies in US after appeal to Beijing for reunion fails". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
- ^ "妻在美病重 中國維權人士郭飛雄籲李克強允探視". CNA. 2021-11-30. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ China Events of 2023. 2024-05-07. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Wife of activist barred from leaving China dies in US after 15 years apart". Hong Kong Free Press. 2022-01-11. Retrieved January 11, 2022.