29 March 2010 / ,
A dissident Chinese lawyer who was missing for more than a year said on Sunday he is now living in northern China and wants only to spend time with his family away from media attention.
Gao Zhisheng went missing from his hometown in Shaanxi province on Feb. 4, 2009, drawing international attention for the unusual length of his disappearance and for earlier reports of torture he said he faced from security forces. Contacted on his cell phone, Gao said he is living in Wutai Shan, a mountain range in Shanxi province that is a place for Buddhist pilgrimages, and that he is “free at present.” “I just want to be in peace and quiet for a while, and be reunited with my family,” Gao said. “Most people belong with family, I have not been with mine for a long time. This is a mistake and I want to correct this mistake.”Gao declined to answer further questions, saying he was not allowed by law, nor was he willing, to accept media interviews.
