【新唐人2014年01月18日讯】日前，美国国会民主、共和两党议员，联合举行听证会，呼吁关注全球良心犯问题。
中国维权律师高智晟的妻子耿和在听证会上作证，讲述了高智晟从2005年以来，所遭受的来自中共当局的种种迫害。这已经是耿和第四次到美国国会作证。
由美国共和党议员弗兰克•沃尔夫主持的“保卫自由听证会”，16号在美国国会举行。
出席并发言的有：民主党籍的詹姆斯•麦高文、共和党籍的克里斯史密斯等多位国会议员；还有国会国际宗教自由委员会、以及国际特赦组织的代表。
“保卫自由行动”是2012年12月，由议员沃尔夫和麦高文在美国国会发起的。参与者认领世界上仍在遭受关押和酷刑折磨的良心犯，呼吁美国政府关注。沃尔夫议员认领的是中国人权律师高智晟。
高智晟律师的妻子耿和出席了听证会，并且发言。17号，刚下飞机的耿和接受了《新唐人》的采访。
中国人权律师高智晟妻子耿和：“高智晟曾经是在国内是个成功的律师，自从2005年起，开始公开的为受迫害的信仰团体办案，像基督徒、法轮功，遭到了中共公开的打压和报复。关闭了他的律师事务所，吊销了他的（律师）执照。并在2006年8月15号绑架了他，并在12月22号，以‘煽动颠覆国家安全罪’判（刑）三年缓（刑）五年。在这缓刑5年期间，有6次以上的强制失踪。”
从2004年12月到2005年12月，高智晟律师曾先后三次上书中共领导人，信中揭开当局残酷迫害法轮功的事实真相，他要求停止这一灭绝人性的暴行，而遭到中共当局的打压。
据耿和透露，高律师在被失踪期间，曾被中共当局工作人员蒙黑头套、暴打、还被电棍电击和竹签插生殖器等。
2011年12月，中共当局在高智晟缓刑期结束前4天，撤销了对他的缓刑，还宣布高智晟将在新疆一个边远的监狱服刑3年。
耿和：“高智晟最新的消息是2013年1月12号，他的弟弟跟我的爸爸见了他，到现在已经一年又过一点了，这一年家里多次给当地公安局、监狱呀打电话，他们要不然就互相推诿，要不然就是不接，偶尔接一次又是维族人接的，那我们又听不懂，以各种理由拒绝家人会见高智晟，也拒绝律师会见。”
自高智晟遭中共当局绑架、判刑，耿和与儿女们便生活在北京国保每天24小时的监视和骚扰中。为了使孩子有一个安全的生活环境，2009年，耿和带领儿女逃离中国，辗转来到美国，寻求政治庇护。
耿和：“我希望高智晟引起美国的高层，像欧巴马、像凯瑞国务卿的关注，只有他们的关注，我觉得才能引起更强大的一种力量，能相对的对高智晟的安全能提供一种保障。”
同时，耿和表示，今年，对她与孩子们来说，是期待的一年。因为按照2011年中共对外的报导来算，今年是高智晟回家的日子了。
耿和：“每一次我去听证，我们家儿子都问我，妈妈你到哪去？我都说我替你找爸爸。每次都是无功而返，今年新年的时候，我就给孩子说，今年的生日，你能收到爸爸的礼物，儿子特高兴，就给学校的老师、同学们都讲了，说‘我今年小学毕业的典礼，我爸爸会参加’。我想孩子这两个愿望今年能实现。”
她希望媒体还有关注高智晟事件的朋友，一起关注高智晟到底能不能回家﹗最后，耿和透露，参加听证会之后，她又与多位国会议员分别见面，一位议员表示，将在半个月之内，开始处理高智晟律师的案子。
采访/常春 编辑/田净 后制/陈建铭
Will Gao Zhisheng Return Home in 2014?
Gao’s Wife Called for Global Attention.
Several U.S. Congress members from both parties recently
held a joint hearing focusing on prisoners of conscience
around the world.
Geng He, wife of Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng
spoke at the hearing about how Gao had been persecuted
by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 2005.
This is the fourth time that Geng visited
Congress for giving testimony.
On January 16, republican congressman Frank R. Wolf
hosted the Defending Freedoms Hearing in the U.S. Capitol.
Several U.S. Congress members made speeches during
the event, including democrat James P. McGovern,
republican Chris Smith and others.
Representatives from U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and
Amnesty International (AI) also spoke at the meeting.
The Freedom Project was initiated in December, 2012
by Wolf and McGovern inside the U.S. Congress.
Participating Congress members picked up different
prisoners of conscience and called on the U.S. government
to give attention to their experiences.
The prisoner that Mr. Wolf picked up was Chinese
human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng.
Wife of Gao Zhisheng, Geng He spoke at the hearing.
Geng was interviewed by NTD on the 17th, right after
she got off the plane from the event.
Geng He, wife of Gao Zhisheng: Gao Zhisheng was a very
successful lawyer in China.
Since 2005, he began to publicly deal with cases of
persecuted belief groups, such as Christians and
Falun Gong practitioners.
Consequently, he was blatantly suppressed by
the CCP authority.
His law firm was forced to shut down and as his
license was suspended.
He was later abducted on 15th August, 2006.
On Dec. 25 of the same year, he was convicted of
inciting subversion of national security and was sentenced
to three years in prison with probation for five years.
During the probation period, he was subject to
“forced kidnappings” at least six times.”
Between December 2004 and December 2005, Gao wrote
three open letters to the CCP leaders, which revealed the
truth about the severe persecution
of Falun Gong practitioners.
In his letters, Gao demanded stopping those inhuman
acts of violence, and was therefore suppressed by
the communist regime.
Geng He said, during those forced kidnappings, Gao was
beaten badly with his head covered, tortured by electric
batons and his genitals was pierced with toothpicks.
In December 2011, the CCP authority revoked Gao’s probation,
just four days before the probation period would end.
The party also announced that Gao would serve his sentence
for three years in an outlying prison located
in Xinjiang Province.
Geng He: The latest update regarding Gao was
on 12th January, 2013.
His younger brother and my father visited him in prison.
Since then another year has passed.
Our families have called the prison and local police station
many times for information.
They either made excuses or completely ignored our call.
Accidentally some Uyghur picked up the call but we could
not understand what he said.
In one word, they refused lawyers and family members
to visit him giving various excuses.
Since Gao Zhisheng was sentenced by the party,
Geng He and their children were put under 24-hour
surveillance by the Domestic Security Division.
For the children to grow up in a safe condition, Geng He
escaped from China in 2009, and finally reached
the United States for political asylum.
Geng He: I hope Gao’s case can draw attention from
President Obama and the Secretary of State.
Only their attention can bring relatively stronger
protection of Gao Zhisheng’s safety.
Geng He said, 2014 was a year of hope to her and her children.
As according to the CCP’s announcement in 2011,
Gao should return home during this year.
Geng He: Each time I left for the hearing, our son
would ask me, “Mom, where are you going?”
I always said “to search for your dad”, but never
accomplished my words.
This New Year I told them you would receive
birthday presents from your dad this year.
My son was very happy for that.
He told his teacher and classmates that my dad will
attend my graduation ceremony this year.
I hope these two wishes of our children will
come true in 2014.
In addition, Geng He hoped that all media and those people
who cared about Gao’s case, kept watching over
the supposed release of Gao in 2014.
Geng said that she had met several Congress members
after the hearing.
One of them told Geng that he would begin to handle
Gao’s case in half a month.
