Outspoken human rights lawyer arrested

Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has acted for Falun Gong members, labor activists and dispossessed oil investors, has been arrested by Chinese authorities, a fellow lawyer told Reuters. Gao was taken into custody on September 21 "on suspicion of inciting subversion of state power", Mo Shaoping said. Mo added that he only recently received the information from prosecutors, having received no response to repeated queries placed to the public security bureau. The arrest of outspoken Gao was denounced by activists as further evidence of the Communist Party's drive to restrict citizens pursuing their rights through the courts or via publicity campaigns. Gao was detained by Beijing police in August having earlier organized a rolling hunger strike to protest against police harassment of political activists. If convicted of inciting subversion, he could be jailed for up to five years.