A year after sentencing Gao Yu, China is asked to let her receive treatment in Germany
| Publisher | Reporters Without Borders |
| Publication Date | 14 April 2016 |
| Cite as | Reporters Without Borders, A year after sentencing Gao Yu, China is asked to let her receive treatment in Germany, 14 April 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5774eaa54.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) joins Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese human rights lawyer who has been living in the United States for the past four years, in urging the Chinese authorities to allow journalist Gao Yu to travel to Germany to receive medical treatment.
RSF is relaying the video in which Chen calls for a worldwide campaign in support of Gao, who was given a seven-year jail sentence almost exactly a year ago (17 April 2015) and who was released from prison to house arrest in November. "We appeal to the international community to actively support Gao Yu and to press the Chinese authorities to allow her to receive medical treatment," said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. "The raid by 20 policemen on Gao's home on 31 March was the exact opposite of the message we were hoping for. The government must end its policy of intimidation and keep the promises it has made with regard to this journalist." Gao's lawyer, Shang Baojun, reported in February that, contrary to an earlier undertaking, the authorities were refusing to allow Gao to leave China and were refusing to give her the money she needs for medical care. Gao suffers from lymphadenopathy, a swelling of the lymph nodes resulting from an infection, inflammation or possibly cancer. While in prison, she also had repeated cardiac problems, which date back to her first spell in prison in 1989. China is ranked 176th out of 180 counties in RSF's 2015 World Press Freedom Index.
