— BBC reports: “Prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, missing for more than a year after being detained by police, has spoken to Western journalists.”
— “‘I want to live a quiet life for a while,’ said Mr Gao by telephone.”
— “He said he was living near Wutai mountain, a Buddhist landmark in northern Shanxi province.”
— “He told Reuters news agency he had been released six months ago. He was abducted by police from a relative’s house in February 2009.”
— “Reuters said it had taken steps to verify Mr Gao’s identity.”
— “Another human rights lawyer said he had spoken to Mr Gao on Sunday.”
— “Gao Zhisheng, a self-taught lawyer, has not always been at odds with the people who run China. He was once a member of the Chinese Communist Party.”
— “In 2001 he was acclaimed as one of the 10 best lawyers in the country by a publication run by the Ministry of Justice.”
— “But he ran into trouble when he started to defend some of China’s most disadvantaged groups, such as supporters of the banned spiritual movement, Falun Gong.”
— “Mr Gao’s law practice was closed down in 2005. The government said one problem was that the lawyer had failed to tell officials of a change of address.”
— “The following year he was given a suspended prison sentence for “inciting subversion”.”
— “He has previously said he had been tortured while in detention.”