【新唐人2014年09月23日訊】今年11月，美國總統歐巴馬將赴北京參加亞太經合組織的首腦會議。日前，美國副國務卿薩拉•休厄爾已經做出承諾，屆時歐巴馬將直接向中共當局提出釋放政治犯的要求，其中包括一直受迫害的大陸著名維權律師高智晟。大陸和海外的民主人士對此都表示一致歡迎，請看詳細報導。
自由亞洲電臺19號報導，美國副國務卿休厄爾18號在國務院會見了多名中國良心犯的家屬。休厄爾承諾，美國總統歐巴馬11月訪問中國時，將向中共當局提出釋放政治犯的問題。
休厄爾還說，美國政府已向中共提出，如果允許維權律師高智晟近期就到美國來看病，並且和家人團聚的話，亞太經合組織的會議將在一個更好的氣氛下召開。
對美國副國務卿的這一承諾，六四民運人士方政表示期待。方政本人也是由舊金山華人「人道中國」組織救助到美國的。
六四受害者方政：「我們其實一直有這種希望和願望吧，希望美國政府能夠向中國政府正式的提出釋放在押的所有政治犯，尤其是像這些具有代表性的，像高智晟，希望他能夠得到真正的自由。這些民主的西方國家他還是崇尚一個基本的普世價值，從道義上他們也是負有責任的。」
當天，與美國副國務卿等官員會面的大陸良心犯家屬代表有：高智晟的女兒耿格；王炳章的女兒王天安；劉賢斌的女兒陳橋；張少傑牧師的女兒張慧馨；常伯陽律師太太鄧桂琴和女兒常若羽。還有兩名藏族政治犯的代表，以及陳克貴的父親陳光福和叔叔陳光誠。
在這些美國要求中共釋放的政治犯中，近期備受關注的是大陸著名維權律師高智晟。高智晟在8月7號被被新疆沙雅監獄釋放，但是出獄後仍然受到當局的嚴密監控。
大陸人權活動家胡佳：「高智晟律師他剛剛從牢獄中出來，然後卻又進入一個家獄的狀態，而且他的家人也跟著一起得要陪綁。他連最基本人道的這些待遇，就是說我們還別說前往美國，就是他到北京來治療這件事情，現在都是不樂觀。」
出獄後，高智晟告訴家人，他一個人被關在黑房裡五年，每天只有一個饅頭一碗白菜。剛出獄時，他不習慣見陽光，臉色蒼白，不太會說話。他的妻子耿和說，身高178的高智晟，體重從原來的160斤瘦到了125斤。
六四受害者方政：「大家都知道高智晟在國內所遭受的這種政治迫害，那是駭人聽聞的。就是因為高智晟所做的這些事，尤其是對法輪功問題，可以說是率先向中共直接提出這麼一種挑戰，這個就非常具有象征意義，這也是中共對他殘酷打壓的重要原因。」
高智晟曾親自調查法輪功學員受到的人權迫害，並向中共當局發出三封公開信，揭露真實情況。他還公開宣佈退黨，此後他長年遭到中共政法委警察的監視和騷擾，一直到入獄。
大陸人權活動家胡佳：「我是很期待美國方面能把這18個政治犯（營救出去），這18個政治犯確實很有代表性。這些政治犯其實從法律的角度去衡量，全部是無辜的。全世界範圍內，聯合國系統到各個雙邊和多邊的國別系統，每一次見到中共，都應該提出類似的交涉，光是美國是不夠的。」
美國眾議院外交委員會資深共和黨議員史密斯（Chris Smith）最近公開呼籲，美國在這個問題上以不公開的、禮貌的外交手段是不湊效的，他希望歐巴馬政府釆用新的思維，包括會見中國政治犯的女兒們。
史密斯還推出了2014年中國人權保護法案，即：美國政府對任何有違反人權行為的中共官員拒絕發出入境簽證，並凍結他們在美國的財產。
採訪編輯/唐音 後製/葛雷
Obama Will Seek Release of Prisoners of Conscience
President Obama will attend Beijing APEC
(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit this November.
State Department’s Under Secretary Sarah Sewall made a
commitment, Obama will directly seek the release
of political prisoners from the Chinese authorities,
including well-known human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng.
Democratic activists have expressed their unanimous
welcome to this move.
Radio Free Asia reported on the 19th, Under Secretary Sewall
met with the Chinese families of prisoners of conscience
on the 18th at the State Department.
Sewall promised President Barack Obama will request
the Chinese authorities to release political prisoners
in his visit to China in November.
Accordingly, Sewall indicated that Washington has proposed
to allow Gao Zhisheng medical care in the U.S. and to unite
with his family in China to ensure a smooth APEC atmosphere.
Fang Zheng expresses his expectation towards the Under
Secretary’s promise.
Fang Zheng was an activist during the 1989 student
pro-democracy movement.
He was rescued to the United States through the help
of Humanitarian China.
Fang Zheng: “We have been hoping and wishing the U.S.
government will officially request release of all political prisoners,
especially those who are representatives of those victimized,
such as Gao Zhisheng.
I hope he will receive true freedom.
The universal values these democratic Western countries uphold
entitle them to the moral responsibility."
Also present in the meeting at the State Department were
representatives of families of the prisoners of conscience:
“Grace" Ge Geng, daughter of Gao Zhisheng,
Ti-Anna Wang, daughter of Wang Bingzhang,
Liu Xianbin’s daughter Bridgette Chen,
“Esther" Huixin Zhang, daughter of pastor, Zhang Shaojie,
daughter and wife of rights lawyer Chang Boyang,
two representatives of Tibetan prisoners of conscience,
and Chen Kegui’s father Chen Guangfu and uncle Chen Guangcheng
The prominent human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng was one
of those who were concerned.
Gao Zhisheng was released from Shaya prison in Xinjiang
on Aug. 7, but still subject to close monitoring by the authorities.
Human rights activist Hu Jia: “Gao Zhisheng has just come
out of a jail and entered a home prison.
His families are tied with his home imprisonment.
He has not received even the most basic humane treatment
such as medical in Beijing, not to mention go to the US."
Prior to his release, Gao Zhisheng had been kept in a dark cell
alone for 5 years with just one steamed bun
and a bowl of cabbage a day.
Upon release, he was not used to the day light, he was pale
and could not talk smoothly.
His wife, Geng He said that Gao, 178-cm height,
weighed only 137 pounds.
Fang Zheng: “We all know that Gao Zhisheng has endured
appalling persecution in China.
He was the first who challenged the regime
about the persecution against Falun Gong.
His symbolic move has brought him the brutal suppression."
After personal investigation into the persecution of Falun Gong
practitioners, Gao Zhisheng had issued three open letters
to the Communist authorities to reveal the true situation.
He also publicly announced to quit the party.
Since then, he has been subject to surveillance
and harassment for many years by the CCP
Politics and Law Commission until his imprisonment.
Hu Jia: “I am really looking forward to the United States
rescue of the 18 political prisoners.
They are indeed the representatives of the political persecution.
They are innocent from a legal perspective.
The entire world, including the UN and individual countries,
should all raise this issue with the Communist regime.
It is not enough to rely on just the United States alone."
Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), head of the global human rights
subcommittee in the House of Representatives,
and co-chairman of the U.S. Commission on China,
has indicated that private and polite diplomacy is not effective.
He hopes the Obama administration will include the use of
new thinking, including meeting with daughters
of political prisoners.
Rep. Smith also promoted the China Human Rights Protection
Act of 2014, HR 5379.
The bill includes prohibition on entry and admission to the
United States and blocking of the property in the United States
of human rights perpetrators in China.
Interview & Edit/TangYin Post-Production/GeLei