高智晟妻子致美國國會議員公開信
中國著名維權律師高智晟的妻子耿和於2009年4月23日寫信給美國國會議員，要求美國國會向中國政府施加壓力，公開說明自今年2月失蹤丈夫的下落。耿和授權中國人權發表這封公開信。
高智晟律師以代理拆遷戶、法輪功學員和家庭教會活躍人士的案件，直言批評中國政府而聞名。自2005年他連續寫信給中國領導人，呼籲停止迫害法輪功學員和異議人士後，便成為中國政府打壓的對象。在2006年12月，當局以「煽動顛覆國家政權罪」判處他3年有期徒刑，緩刑5年。在緩刑期間，高智晟遭到當局多次拘禁，他的家人也遭到警方的長期騷擾。 2007年9月，高智晟因給美國國會寫公開信，批評中國的人權狀況，遭到當局的綁架，長達59天。在此期間，他遭到警方的酷刑折磨。中國人權於2009年 2月初受權發表高智晟本人對遭受酷刑的詳述。 ()
2009年1月9日，高智晟律師的妻子耿和攜子女逃離中國，一個星期後到達泰國。 2月4日，目擊者見到高智晟被10多名國安人員從他老家陝西省佳縣神泉鄉小石板橋村強行帶走，此後便失去音訊。他的妻子和兩個孩子於2009年3月11日抵達美國。目前，已有許多政府、人權團體和律師組織緊急表達對高智晟律師安全的嚴重關切。
高智晟妻子致美國國會議員公開信
尊敬的美國國會議員：
我叫耿和，是中國大陸正在遭受迫害的政治犯高智晟律師的妻子。今年3月11日，我攜帶一兒一女來到美國政治庇護。我寫信給您們，首先對美國政府表示感謝。在我們一家身處危境之際，美國政府的人道主義援手使得我和子女得以逃脫殘酷的迫害。現在我們安全了，但我的丈夫高智晟的處境卻更危險了。因此，我懇請您們能夠進一步幫助我們一家，制止中國政府迫害我的先生高智晟律師。
我的先生高智晟，是一位正直的律師。由於他的專業能力，我們一家曾經有很好的經濟收入和生活。從2003年開始，我先生開始參與維權案例，為此頻繁與大陸各級腐敗黑社會化的政府發生衝突。 2004年，他調查和披露中國大陸最大的政治迫害案中法輪功學員受迫害的情況，並三次致信中國領導人，要求停止迫害法輪功。他這樣做，雖然並不違背中國的法律，但是各級政府還是不斷威脅他，並吊銷了他的律師執照。他親身經歷的問題使得他認識到，如果不改變中國的政治體制，就無法依照法律維護公民的安全、利益和尊嚴。於是，他在中國憲法和法律允許的框架中，發起一次次公民和平示威請願，揭露和抗議政府的腐敗和暴政問題。
我先生的正義行動，招致中國政府不斷升級的迫害。 2006年8月15日，他們綁架了我先生，並於9月21日正式逮捕他。其間，當局為摧毀我先生的意志，百般折磨他，還綁架、騷擾和折磨我和我們的孩子。 2006年12月21日，在剝奪了我先生聘請辯護律師權利的情況下，當局判決我先生有罪並處以刑罰。
我先生隨後向國際社會揭露了這些問題。當局非常惱火。多次對他實施綁架和迫害。 2007年9月21日晚上，我先生被套上黑頭套，綁架到不知名的地方，多人對他進行長達59天的各種酷刑摧殘。其中，有電棍擊打身體、竹籤捅生殖器和煙燻五官等酷刑。當時，我先生疼痛難當，汗水、血水和各種體液，流了一地。當局聲稱折磨我先生的理由之一，是他寫信給美國國會。
2009年1月9日，由於不堪中國政府的流氓野蠻騷擾和迫害，我帶著孩子踏上逃離中國的艱險路途。 2月4日，我先生在陝西老家再度失蹤，至今音信全無。這肯定是中國政府報復我們的逃亡，將他再次綁架。鑑於過去的恐怖經驗，我非常擔心我先生的安全。
尊敬的美國國會議員，作為妻子，我現在心亂如麻，懷疑我是否應該離開中國。儘管我有心理準備與我先生共患難，但是我們的孩子，一個16 歲，另一個只有5歲，已經在當局的綁架、恫嚇和毆打下，無法上學。女兒甚至離家出走，親友們擔心恐懼會導致她精神不正常。如不離開那個可怕的國家，他們的一生就毀掉了。但是，我先生卻因我們逃離中國而備遭折磨，對此我真的心如刀割。孩子天天也追問我，爸爸在哪裡？我孤身無援，萬般無奈，只能向您們呼籲，對中國政府施加壓力，讓他們停止迫害我先生，並告訴全世界我先生在什麼地方以及情況怎樣。
我的朋友告訴我，美國這個偉大的國家把人權作為國家外交政策的基石，決不會坐視我先生受苦而不管。因此，他們鼓勵和建議我寫信給您們，尋求幫助。我想起我先生還有自由的時候，每當中國有重大人權迫害案發生時，他總是把眼光投向美國。他總是說，美國是世界自由和人權秩序的基石；美國不會容忍強權暴政肆無忌憚地凌辱弱者和民眾。
我到美國剛剛一個多月，但我已經感受到，在這個偉大的憲政民主國家中，公民享受安全、自由和尊嚴。我更加理解我先生奮鬥的意義。他曾經以極大勇氣告訴世人，他要讓中國人像美國人民一樣，享受免除恐懼的自由和尊嚴。為此，他正遭受著迫害。
過去，當我每每為他挑戰暴政的舉動感到擔心時，我先生還經常安慰我說，邪不壓正，得道多助；如果有一天他因為理念和正義而受到迫害，全世界愛好正義的人們會聲援和支持他的。我知道，他在監獄裡忍受各種迫害時，內心懷著怎樣的光明和希望！在面對巨大的暴政機器時，這樣的希望可能顯得很弱小但卻非常堅定，因為對美國的信心和期待是這份希望和期待的核心！
現在，我願盡我所能，不讓他失望！我想通過您們，讓他得到偉大的美國的幫助。那是他在黑牢中忍受各種酷刑時內心中珍存的一份信念和希望！
尊敬的美國國會議員，請幫助我，聲援我的先生高智晟律師，讓邪惡的勢力知道，迫害不是沒有阻力的；讓成千上萬的暴政下痛苦地生活的中國人知道，美國在關注著他們的人權狀況，不會放棄。我先生會因此更加不屈，中國人會因此而受到鼓舞，中國和世界會因此而最終得到改變！
萬分感謝您們的關注！
中國維權律師高智晟的妻子耿和
2009年4月23日
英文
Letter by Geng He to U.S. Congress
[Translated by Human Rights in China]
April 23, 2009
Honorable Members of the United States Congress,
My name is Geng He (耿和) and I am the wife of political prisoner and lawyer Gao Zhisheng (高智晟), who is currently being persecuted in mainland China. On March 11 this year, I arrived in the United States with my son and daughter for political asylum. I write this letter to you in order to, first, express my gratitude towards the American government. At a time when our family was in danger, the American government’s humanitarian aid enabled my children and me to escape from brutal persecution. We are safe now, but my husband’s situation has become more perilous. Therefore, I entreat you to go a step further in helping our family by putting an end to the Chinese government’s persecution of my husband, lawyer Gao Zhisheng.
My husband is an honest lawyer. Due to his professional capabilities our family once had a good income and living standard. When my husband began taking part in rights defense cases in 2003, he clashed frequently with the corrupt and criminalized elements of the Chinese government at all levels. In 2004, he investigated and exposed the government’s actions against Falun Gong followers in the biggest political persecution case in mainland China and wrote letters to Chinese leaders three times requesting them to stop their attacks on Falun Gong. Though his actions did not violate China’s laws, but rather, upheld them, he was still continuously threatened by the government at all levels and his lawyer’s license was revoked. The problems he personally encountered made him realize that, without changing the political system of China, there would be no way to lawfully ensure the safety, interests, and dignity of citizens. Therefore, time and again, within the framework allowed by the Chinese Constitution and the law, he initiated peaceful citizen demonstrations and petitions to expose and protest the problems of corruption in government and tyrannical rule.
My husband’s righteous actions drew continuous and escalating abuse by the Chinese government. On August 15, 2006, they kidnapped my husband and formally arrested him on September 21. During this period, the authorities tormented him in all sorts of ways and even kidnapped, harassed, and tormented our children and me in order to break his will. On December 21, 2006, after having deprived my husband of the right to retain defense counsel, the authorities convicted and sentenced him.
Soon afterwards, my husband revealed these problems to the international community. The authorities were infuriated. They kidnapped and tormented him many times. On the night of September 21, 2007, my husband, with a black hood thrown over his head, was kidnapped and brought to an unknown location. For 59 days, many people tortured and ravaged him in all kinds of ways, including beating him with an electric prod, inserting bamboo sticks into his reproductive organs, holding lit cigarettes close to his eyes and nose, etc., so that his eyes would burn and he would be forced to inhale smoke. My husband told me later that he was in such unbearable pain at the time that his sweat, blood, and other bodily fluids covered the floor. Among the reasons the authorities gave for tormenting my husband was that he had written to the United States Congress.
Because we could no longer endure the Chinese government’s thuggish and barbaric harassment and persecution, on January 9, 2009, I took my children on the treacherous journey of escaping China. On February 4, my husband disappeared again from his hometown in Shaanxi and has not been heard from since. I have no doubt that this kidnapping was the Chinese government’s retaliation for our escape. In view of his horrific experiences in the past, I’m extremely worried about my husband’s safety.
Honorable members of the U.S. Congress, as a wife I am terribly distressed and doubt our decision to leave China. Though I had been mentally prepared to face adversities alongside my husband, our children, ages 16 and five, have already been unable to go to school due to the kidnapping, intimidation, and beatings by the authorities. My daughter even ran away from home. Our relatives and friends are worried that she will become mentally disturbed from her fear. If we had not left that horrific country, their whole lives would have been ruined. However, that my husband was prepared to be tortured for the sake of our escape is like a knife in my heart. My children ask me every day, where’s dad? I’m alone and isolated here and can only appeal to you to pressure the Chinese government to stop persecuting my husband and tell the world his whereabouts and condition.
My friends tell me that this great nation of the United States, which regards human rights as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, would never just sit and watch my husband suffer and do nothing. Thus they encouraged and advised me to write to you to seek help. I remember that, when my husband was still free, whenever major human rights cases arose in China, he would always look towards the United States. He always said: The United States is the cornerstone of world freedom, human rights and social order; the United States would not tolerate despotic rule and the wanton abuse of the weak and the masses.
I have been in the United States for just over a month but I』ve already felt that in this great nation of constitutional government, citizens enjoy security, liberty and dignity. I can understand even more the meaning of my husband’s struggles. He, with utmost courage, once told the people of the world that he wanted Chinese people to enjoy freedom and dignity without fear, just like Americans. It is for this that he is being persecuted.
In the past, whenever I was worried about my husband because of his challenges against tyranny, he would often console me by saying, evil cannot win over good, the ones upholding justice will always have help. He said that if one day he would be persecuted because of his ideals and sense of justice, the people in the world who believe in justice would stand by him and support him. I know that he would still harbor this light and hope in his heart while enduring various torments in prison! When faced with a huge machine of tyranny, this hope may seem small and weak but it is extraordinarily steadfast, because his faith in the United States is at the core of his hope and expectation.
Now, I am willing do all I can to not let him down! I hope that he can gain the help of the great United States through you. That is the faith and hope he holds in his heart while enduring all forms of torture in that dark prison cell!
Honorable members of the U.S. Congress, please help me support my husband, lawyer Gao Zhisheng, so that the evil forces will know that there is resistance against persecution; so that the millions of Chinese suffering this despotic rule will know that the United States is concerned about their human rights situation, and will not give up. My husband would be more resolute because of this, the Chinese people would feel inspired because of this, and China and the world would eventually transform because of this!
Many thanks for your concern!
Geng He
Wife of Chinese rights defense lawyer Gao Zhisheng.