NEW YORK — A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced a prominent New York-based artist, Gao Zhen, to three years in prison for making irreverent sculptures of Mao Zedong more than 15 years ago, according to his wife.
The Sanhe City People’s Court in Hebei province found Gao guilty of slandering one of the country’s heroes, highlighting the shrinking space for expression under China’s leader, Xi Jinping.
The case of Gao, who had emigrated to the United States and was detained in Beijing two years ago while visiting family, underlined the opacity of China’s legal system. The 70-year-old artist was tried during a one-day secret hearing in March that his family and US diplomats were barred from attending. He was found guilty and sentenced during Tuesday’s hearing, which two of Gao’s other brothers were able to attend.
