【新唐人2014年01月18日訊】日前，美國國會民主、共和兩黨議員，聯合舉行聽證會，呼籲關注全球良心犯問題。

中國維權律師高智晟的妻子耿和在聽證會上作證，講述了高智晟從2005年以來，所遭受的來自中共當局的種種迫害。這已經是耿和第四次到美國國會作證。

由美國共和黨議員弗蘭克•沃爾夫主持的「保衛自由聽證會」，16號在美國國會舉行。

出席併發言的有：民主黨籍的詹姆斯•麥高文、共和黨籍的克里斯史密斯等多位國會議員；還有國會國際宗教自由委員會、以及國際特赦組織的代表。

「保衛自由行動」是2012年12月，由議員沃爾夫和麥高文在美國國會發起的。參與者認領世界上仍在遭受關押和酷刑折磨的良心犯，呼籲美國政府關注。沃爾夫議員認領的是中國人權律師高智晟。

高智晟律師的妻子耿和出席了聽證會，並且發言。17號，剛下飛機的耿和接受了《新唐人》的採訪。

中國人權律師高智晟妻子耿和：「高智晟曾經是在國內是個成功的律師，自從2005年起，開始公開的為受迫害的信仰團體辦案，像基督徒、法輪功，遭到了中共公開的打壓和報復。關閉了他的律師事務所，吊銷了他的（律師）執照。並在2006年8月15號綁架了他，並在12月22號，以『煽動顛覆國家安全罪』判（刑）三年緩（刑）五年。在這緩刑5年期間，有6次以上的強制失蹤。」

從2004年12月到2005年12月，高智晟律師曾先後三次上書中共領導人，信中揭開當局殘酷迫害法輪功的事實真相，他要求停止這一滅絕人性的暴行，而遭到中共當局的打壓。

據耿和透露，高律師在被失蹤期間，曾被中共當局工作人員蒙黑頭套、暴打、還被電棍電擊和竹籤插生殖器等。

2011年12月，中共當局在高智晟緩刑期結束前4天，撤銷了對他的緩刑，還宣佈高智晟將在新疆一個邊遠的監獄服刑3年。

耿和：「高智晟最新的消息是2013年1月12號，他的弟弟跟我的爸爸見了他，到現在已經一年又過一點了，這一年家裏多次給當地公安局、監獄呀打電話，他們要不然就互相推諉，要不然就是不接，偶爾接一次又是維族人接的，那我們又聽不懂，以各種理由拒絕家人會見高智晟，也拒絕律師會見。」

自高智晟遭中共當局綁架、判刑，耿和與兒女們便生活在北京國保每天24小時的監視和騷擾中。為了使孩子有一個安全的生活環境，2009年，耿和帶領兒女逃離中國，輾轉來到美國，尋求政治庇護。

耿和：「我希望高智晟引起美國的高層，像歐巴馬、像凱瑞國務卿的關注，只有他們的關注，我覺得才能引起更強大的一種力量，能相對的對高智晟的安全能提供一種保障。」

同時，耿和表示，今年，對她與孩子們來說，是期待的一年。因為按照2011年中共對外的報導來算，今年是高智晟回家的日子了。

耿和：「每一次我去聽證，我們家兒子都問我，媽媽你到哪去？我都說我替你找爸爸。每次都是無功而返，今年新年的時候，我就給孩子說，今年的生日，你能收到爸爸的禮物，兒子特高興，就給學校的老師、同學們都講了，說『我今年小學畢業的典禮，我爸爸會參加』。我想孩子這兩個願望今年能實現。」

她希望媒體還有關注高智晟事件的朋友，一起關注高智晟到底能不能回家﹗最後，耿和透露，參加聽證會之後，她又與多位國會議員分別見面，一位議員表示，將在半個月之內，開始處理高智晟律師的案子。

採訪/常春 編輯/田淨 後製/陳建銘

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.