【新唐人2013年01月26日讯】身陷囹圄的著名中国维权律师高智晟，将成为美国国会汤姆•兰托斯人权委员“捍卫自由”项目的第一位重要人选。兰托斯人权委员会主席弗兰克•沃尔夫议员亲自致信高智晟律师。
沃尔夫在信中写道，“在你个人安全和健康受到极大威胁的时候，你的信念和你对正义的追求都鼓舞着人们。中国共产党和它之前的苏联一样，注定要被人们扔到‘历史的垃圾堆’里去。”
沃尔夫议员还呼吁中国新一代领导人：尽快处理上一代领导班子遗留下来的人权案件，早日释放高智晟。
高智晟律师的太太耿和告诉《新唐人》，她是前一天早晨看到这封信的。
高智晟律师太太 耿和：“这个议员写的非常诚恳，我看了以后，我跟我家人都感到比较欣慰，他们一直都在为中国的人权奔走，我第一时间把这封信打印下来，寄给高智晟和国内的亲人，让他们知道国外这样两位德高望重的主席都在关心高智晟，好让他们心里感到踏实点。”
高智晟律师过去多年因替弱势群体打官司，并多次上书中共政府高层，要求改变对法轮功等群体的非法处理。因此遭到国家安全局的长期监视、毒打和失踪，家人及孩子也遭到国安的围攻和毒打。北京第一中级法院2007年以“煽动颠覆国家政权罪”，判处高智晟律师有期徒刑三年，缓刑五年。目前高智晟还在新疆“沙雅监狱”遭受迫害。
耿和：“我跟孩子的迫害来源于我先生，我先生从2006年8月到现在都没有自由，没有结束迫害，我想更需要关注的是他，他需要美国的庇护。”
中国另一位知名的维权人士胡佳认为，美国国会议员的行动，凸显了美国的自由精神和美国宪法的价值观，胡佳建议沃尔夫议员，将这封信的中英文版签名后寄给新疆“沙雅监狱”，和中国驻美大使以及中共总书记习近平本人。
胡佳：“每一个专制政权都是人类的公敌，每一个受到专制政权压制的人，他在受到权利侵害的时候，也是所有人的权益在受到侵害。你把它公开寄出了，就等于你的直拳打向了专制者的面颊，当海外的人不遗余力的来帮助中国的人权受害者，也是启示更多的中国公民站出来，为我们自己在这块土地上的受难者发出呼声。”
胡佳表示，高智晟之所以受到中国所有政治犯都没有经历过的摧残，主要原因是﹕高律师在中共迫害法轮功问题上，敢仗义直言。
胡佳：“因为法轮功在中共的污名化过程中，以及全方位的压制过程中，万马齐喑，在这时，高智晟律师站出来仗义直言，这个大智大勇，说句心里话，到现在我觉得还很难找出第二个，他做的事情超越很多勇者的勇气，他所面临的压力实际上是为很多的人付出的，不仅是在为法轮功群体，也是为维权律师去承担，也是为其他信仰自由在承担。”
据高智晟家人透露，高智晟律师在监狱内连看书、看电视的权利都被剥夺，接见时连刑期都不能透露。
胡佳希望美国议员能和加拿大、欧盟等关注中国人权的政要，以及其他尊重人权的国家议员们也能写信，甚至联合起来给高律师去信。
胡佳：“国际社会和中国国内广泛发出声音的话，对于改善他的狱内的条件都是有帮助的，让高智晟律师减压，让他尽可能平安，尽可能保持他健康的状态，对于将来保证他再参与中国的民主法制进程的话，是莫大的帮助，他是律师，他是一个受难者，他知道法律被肆意歪曲和滥用的后果。”
胡佳认为，中共对法轮功的迫害是中国最大的人权灾难，而为人权说话的律师也遭到同样的摧残，是对人类良知底线的挑战，每个人都应该站出来，才能避免这种事情发生在自己头上。
采访编辑/刘惠 后制/孙宁
US Congressmen Speak Out Again for Gao Zhisheng
Gao Zhisheng, the prominent human rights lawyer in China,
remains imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Recently, Gao Zhisheng was selected as one a number
one candidate for the Defending Freedoms Project.
This distinction was given by U.S. Congressman
Tom Lantos from the Human Rights Commission.
The Commission’s co-chair Frank R. Wolf has personally
written to Gao Zhisheng, to inform him of this news.
In his letter, Representative Wolf wrote, “Your faith
is an inspiration, as is your pursuit of justice, even
at great risk to your personal safety and well-being.
The Chinese Communist Party, just as the Soviet Union
before it, is destined for the ‘ash heap of history.”
The Epoch Times reported that Rep. Wolf had
appealed to the new CCP administration,
to quickly address with the human rights cases
left unsolved from the out-going leadership.
He also called for the early release of Gao Zhisheng.
Geng He, Gao Zhisheng’s wife, told NTD that
she read this letter in morning the day before.
Geng He: “The letter is full of sincerity,
my family and I have all felt gratified at it.
They have campaigned for China’s
human rights for a long time.
I’ve printed and sent the letter to
Gao Zhisheng and his relatives in China.
I hope they will feel solid by reading this letter,
and knowing the Commission’s two chairmen
are both concerned about Gao Zhisheng.”
Gao Zhisheng has defended vulnerable
groups in China over many years.
He wrote several letters to the CCP top leadership
to stop persecution of Falun Gong, as well as dissidents.
Gao thus experienced long-term surveillance and was
beaten by security police, and was forcibly abducted.
Police also threatened and beat his wife and children.
In 2007, the CCP authorities charged Gao Zhisheng
with the crime of “inciting subversion of state power".
He was given a three-year jail term,
and suspended for five years.
Currently, Gao Zhisheng was detained
in Xinjiang’s notorious Shaya Prison.
Geng He: “The CCP’s persecution of my children and
myself was derived from that against my husband.
He has been deprived of his personal liberty
since August 2006, and it still continues.
I think that he deserves more attention
from the international community.
He needs protection from the U.S.”
Hu Jia, the renowned rights activist in China, remarks
that the US congressmen’s actions highlighted the values
of the freedom and the spirit of the US Constitution.
Hu Jia suggested that Representative Wolf
post the letter to Shaya Prison in Xinjiang.
He also suggested posting it to
Xi Jinping, the current CCP leader.
Hu Jia: “Every autocracy is the common enemy of mankind.
So each victim of oppression by authoritarian rule
is actually an infringement on all human beings.
Sending the letter openly to the CCP leader means hitting
a straight blow on the cheek of the dictatorships regime.
The international community is crying out
for China’s victims of human rights abuses.
It is inspiring more Chinese
to speak out for these victims.”
Hu Jia says that in comparison with China’s political
dissidents, Gao Zhisheng has suffered a lot more.
This is because Gao Zhisheng spoke out
against the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.
Hu Jia: “The whole community in China stood mute when
Falun Gong was blackened and suppressed by the CCP.
But Gao Zhisheng spoke out against the authorities.
He is braver than the average person, I think.
But the pressure he has born is actually
not just for Falun Gong practitioners.
He has also suffered for human rights lawyers, and
for other groups that are striving for freedom of belief.”
Gao Zhisheng’s family revealed that Gao is banned
from reading and watching TV while imprisoned.
The authorities even refused to
reveal the jail term given to Gao.
Hu Jia hopes that more leaders and law makers in
other countries, such as Canada and the EU, and
who are concerned about China’s human rights,
should also write letters to Gao Zhisheng in jail.
Hu Jia: “Strong voices of support from the international
community, and from within China, will give him a help.
This will help improve the situation of his
imprisonment and ease the pressure on him.
Staying healthy will greatly assist his future participation
in building China’s democracy, and a new legal system.
He is a lawyer and a victim, who knows the result
of laws being wantonly warped and abused.”
Hu Jia indicates that China’s biggest human rights
abuse is the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.
Lawyers in support of human rights
have also become victims.
He thinks this is a challenge by the CCP
to the bottom line of human conscience.
So everyone should stand up to speak out against it.
Hu Jia believes that this is the only effective way for every
Chinese person to avoid the same victimization against them.
