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A rights group called for the immediate release of jailed Chinese artist Gao Zhen, whose works criticised former leader Mao Zedong, as his trial began on March 30.
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Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said 69-year-old Gao, who is accused of slandering China's heroes, was tried behind closed doors at a court in the northern city of Sanhe, though no verdict has yet been announced.
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Gao and his brother Gao Qiang gained fame in the early 2000s for art touching on sensitive political topics like the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Square protests, and the legacy of Mao, who led China from 1949 until his death in 1976.
Their works include a sculpture of the Communist leader kneeling, titled Mao's Guilt , and another called Execution of Christ , in which several bronze statues of Mao aim rifles at one of Jesus.
Gao Zhen, who emigrated to the United States in 2022, was detained at his studio on the outskirts of Beijing in August 2024 during a visit to China.
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Gao has several medical conditions, and his health has deteriorated during his detention, CHRD said.
His wife and their seven-year-old son, a US citizen, have been barred from leaving China.
The absence of a verdict on March 30 indicated that a political decision has not yet been made about the case , CHRD's co-executive director Sophie Richardson said.
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The space for artistic expression in China has narrowed since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, with authorities often using the crime of insulting heroes and martyrs to target artists and cultural figures.