——旧金山集会追问“高智晟在哪里？”
作者：吕小静
2026年8月30 日，参与者在旧金山市政厅前集会声援被强迫失踪九年的中国人权律师高智晟，并共同追问：“高智晟在哪里”（本文照片由关永杰提供）
【旧金山讯】2026年8月30日下午，由中国民主党旧金山党部、中国民主教育基金会主办的“联合国强迫失踪受害者国际日——高智晟声援活动”，在旧金山市政厅前举行。
参与者手持“高智晟在哪里？”、“WHERE IS GAO ZHISHENG?”等中英文标语，在市政厅前持续追问中国人权律师高智晟的下落，并呼吁美国政府、国会、媒体、人权机构及社会公众关注高智晟事件以及强迫失踪问题。
当天的现场没有复杂的布置。
一把空椅子，十块年份牌，九秒钟的静默。
却共同指向一个已经九年没有得到答案的问题：
高智晟在哪里？
九年过去，一个最基本的问题仍没有答案。
活动由民主党党员李小林、郭志军主持。 两人在开场中介绍，高智晟是一名中国人权律师，曾为宗教信仰者、异议人士以及弱势群体提供法律帮助，并因此长期遭受打压、拘押和监控。
2017年8月13日，高智晟在陕西榆林住所被秘密带走。家人随后寻找并报案，当地警方否认拘押他。三个多星期后，家人才从一名地方官员处得知，高智晟已被带往北京。
然而此后，他究竟身在何处、由谁控制、身体状况如何，家属始终没有得到公开、可信的说明。
从2017年到2026年，整整九年。 因此，当天所有演讲、标语和行动最终都回到了同一个问题：一个父亲在哪里？一个活生生的人、一个丈夫在哪里？究竟在哪里？
参与者在旧金山市政厅前高举2017至2026年份牌。现场中央的一把空椅子，象征高智晟九年的缺席。
活动现场，一把空椅子被摆放在人群中央。
主持人介绍，这把空椅子代表一个本应该能够自由回家、自由说话，却已经缺席九年的人。
随后，参与者依次举起： 2017、2018、2019、2020、2021、2022、2023、2024、2025、2026。
十个年份，记录九年的失踪，也记录一个家庭九年的等待。 2017年，高智晟失去自由。 一年过去，没有答案；两年过去，没有答案；五年过去，依然没有答案。 直到2026年，当最后一块年份牌被举起，人们仍然在问： “高智晟在哪里？”
随后，全场静默九秒。 一秒，代表一年。 九秒很短，但对于不知道亲人生死与下落的家庭而言，九年却是三千多个无法得到答案的日夜。 这九秒，也献给所有遭受强迫失踪的人，以及那些仍在等待亲人回家的家庭。
中国民主党旧金山党部主席方政在现场代表主办方提出三项诉求：
第一，即公布高智晟律师的真实下落，恢复他的人身自由；
第二，呼吁美国政府和国会持续关注高智晟案，并追究迫害责任；
第三，呼吁美国媒体、人权机构和公众共同发声，让高智晟案进入美国社会的公共视野。
方政表示，希望所有参与者通过不同方式，把这些诉求传播到美国、传播到世界，让国际社会持续关注高智晟，推动他早日重获自由。
九年的时间足以让一条新闻退出头版，但方政所强调的正是：一个人的下落不能因为时间过去而不再被追问。
中国民主党旧金山党部秘书长郑云在发言中表示，高智晟曾经是一名律师，他用法律为弱者辩护、为遭受不公的人争取权利。然而，当一个曾经努力为别人守护权利的人，自己却失去自由，甚至连身在何处都无人能够确认时，这本身就是对法治与人权沉重的拷问。
郑云表示，九年的强迫失踪，带走的不只是高智晟一个人的自由，也让一个家庭陷入漫长而残酷的等待。
妻子在等待丈夫，孩子在等待父亲。 对于一个家庭而言，他们所要求的并不是什么特殊权利，不过是希望知道自己的亲人在哪里、是否平安、什么时候能够回家。
郑云强调，高智晟事件绝不是一个已经过去的故事。 九年可以让一个孩子长大，可以让许多新闻成为旧闻，却不能让一个被强迫失踪的人因此从公众记忆中消失。
她认为，强迫失踪制造的不只是沉默，也试图制造遗忘；而当天人们站在这里，就是要拒绝这种遗忘。
“只要还有人在追问，高智晟就没有被消失；只要还有人在呼喊他的名字，这九年的等待就不会被沉默掩埋。”
郑云最后呼吁公布高智晟的真实下落，让他恢复自由，与家人团聚。
中国民主党旧金山党部副主席胡丕政则从索尔仁尼琴关于“真话”的思考谈起。
他表示，在一个害怕真相的制度下，说真话本身就可能需要付出代价。一些律师、记者、作家和公民行动者，因为调查事实、批评权力和坚持表达而遭到打压，甚至与家人及外界失去联系。
“如果一个政府真正自信，为什么要害怕一句真话？如果一个政权真正代表人民，为什么要害怕人民知道真相？”
胡丕政表示，真正的自由并不意味着所有人拥有同一种观点，而意味着每个人都有支持、批评、发声或者沉默的权利。
他说：“人民选择不知道，是自由；政府不让人民知道，是封锁。一个是选择，一个是强迫。”
发言最后，他说道： “真相不会毁掉一个国家。真正可怕的是——所有人都知道真相，却没有人再敢说出真相！”
中国民主党党员刘静涛把关注进一步延伸到更多遭受强迫失踪、秘密拘禁以及长期与外界失去联系的人士。
他表示，强迫失踪伤害的从来不只是一个人。当一个人突然从社会中消失，家属甚至无法知道亲人的生死安危，这种没有答案的等待，本身就是对家庭持续的伤害。
他呼吁国际社会持续关注相关案件，并强调： “追问真相，不是犯罪。监督政府，不是犯罪。让人‘被失踪’，不能成为统治的手段。” “不要让他们被遗忘，不要让真相被掩埋。”
中国民主党党员李树青则在现场连续质问： “高智晟到底在哪里？他现在是否还活着？谁剥夺了他的自由？谁有权让一个人从这个世界上‘消失’？”
李树青表示，一个政府可以不同意一个人的观点，却没有权力让一个活生生的人消失，更不能让他的家人在漫长的黑暗与未知中等待。
“人可以被强行带走，但真相不会永远消失；声音可以被压制，但正义不会因此沉默！”
他最后高声说道： “高智晟，我们没有忘记你！只要你一天没有自由，我们就一天不会停止追问：你在哪里？”
中国民主党Fremont支部副主任吕小静表示，联合国设立“强迫失踪受害者国际日”，就是要提醒世界，任何政府都不能将一个人秘密带走之后，让其从法律和公众视野中消失。
她说，当天人们不仅是在为高智晟发声，也是在为所有遭受强迫失踪的人，以及那些仍然等待父亲、丈夫、妻子和孩子回家的家庭发声。 “高智晟在哪里？九年被强迫失踪，今天我们要答案！”
此外，周小俊、郭鉴鑫、吴志创、姚荣涛等人也先后在现场发言，表达对高智晟处境及强迫失踪问题的关注。不同的发言最终汇聚到同一个诉求：九年之后，高智晟的下落仍需要一个公开、可信的答案。
在声援高智晟之后，当天活动进入另一个重要环节——TTT Action｜真相行动正式启动。
主持人李小林介绍，这项行动的最初灵感来自今年六四37周年纪念活动。 今年6月3日，在旧金山中领馆前的六四纪念活动中，方政曾谈到：为什么三十多年过去，人们仍然要纪念六四？ 因为有人试图让历史被遗忘、让真相被掩盖，而人们需要做的，就是继续把真相说出来。 李小林表示，这番话让他开始思考： 能不能把“说出真相”，变成一个更简单、更容易传播，也能够跨越语言和国界的行动？
于是有了三个英文单词： TELL THE TRUTH。 三个单词的首字母组成： T—T—T。 但真相不能只停留在口号里，还必须转化为行动。 因此形成了： TTT ACTION｜真相行动。 其核心理念是： 把被掩盖的真相说出来，让更多人知道，让更多人看见。 李小林同时宣布，截至当天，已有7个机构以及超过50位个人共同成为TTT Action联合发起者。 他强调，TTT并不属于某一个人。不同的人、不同的组织可以保持自己的身份和独立性，但可以因为一个共同目标站在一起： TELL THE TRUTH——说出真相。
方政宣布：“TTT Action｜真相行动正式启动！”
由于方政关于“说出真相”的讲话给予TTT Action最初的启发，当天特别由方政亲自宣布行动正式启动。
参与者随即展开横幅，举起拳头，共同高喊： “TELL THE TRUTH！” “高智晟在哪里？” “WHERE IS GAO ZHISHENG?” “TELL US WHERE HE IS!” “STOP ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES!”
正式集会结束后，参与者没有立即离开。 他们拿着准备好的英文资料走向经过旧金山市政厅的普通民众，介绍高智晟是谁、为什么九年来始终有人追问他的下落，以及强迫失踪对个人和家庭意味着什么。
一些路人在听取介绍后停下脚步，接过资料认真阅读；有人继续与参与者交流，询问相关情况。
从市政厅前数十人的呼喊，到把一张英文资料递给一个此前可能从未听说过高智晟的普通人，当天的“TELL THE TRUTH”也从一句口号变成了具体行动： 让不知道的人开始知道，让没有看见的人开始看见。
活动接近结束时，高智晟的妻子耿和联系主办方。
她表示，因为工作原因目前身在外地，非常遗憾未能亲自来到当天的活动现场，同时感谢所有前来参加活动、持续关注并声援高智晟律师的人。 这则来自家属的消息，也让现场那把空椅子有了更加沉重而具体的意义。
对于外界而言，“高智晟在哪里？”是一场持续九年的公共追问。 而对于他的妻子和孩子而言，这首先是一个再普通不过、却九年来始终无法实现的愿望： 丈夫回家。 父亲回家。
活动最终结束，人群会散去，横幅会被收起，2017至2026的十块年份牌也会被带走。 但只要那把椅子仍然是空的，这场追问就没有结束。
2017—2026。
九年的失踪，需要真相；
九年的等待，需要答案。
高智晟在哪里？
参加本次活动的民运人士名单：方政，郑云，李小林，周云龙，胡丕政，周小俊，李树青，刘静涛，吕小静，郭志军，常国栋，关永杰，高英芬，周祺禄，国盼，赵明，姚荣涛，李栩，张鹏展，高俊影，吴志创，郭鉴鑫，李晓艳，谷涛等（排名不分先后）
现场采访及活动剪影。
编辑：李晶 校对：程筱筱 翻译：戈冰
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
——San Francisco Rally Asks “Where Is Gao Zhisheng?”
Author: Lyu Xiaojing
On August 30, 2026, participants gathered in front of San Francisco City Hall to express solidarity with Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been forcibly disappeared for nine years, jointly asking: “Where is Gao Zhisheng?” (Photographs in this article provided by Guan Yongjie)
[San Francisco News] On the afternoon of August 30, 2026, the “International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances—Gao Zhisheng Solidarity Event,” hosted by the San Francisco Branch of the China Democracy Party and the Chinese Democracy Education Foundation, was held in front of San Francisco City Hall.
Participants held Chinese and English placards reading “高智晟在哪里？” and “WHERE IS GAO ZHISHENG?”, continuously asking for the whereabouts of Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng in front of City Hall, while calling on the U.S. government, Congress, media, human rights organizations, and the general public to pay attention to the Gao Zhisheng case and the issue of enforced disappearance.
On that day, there was no complex staging at the scene.
An empty chair, ten year markers, nine seconds of silence.
Yet together they pointed to a question that has remained unanswered for nine years:
Where is Gao Zhisheng?
Nine years have passed, and a most fundamental question still has no answer.
The event was hosted by Democracy Party members Li Xiaolin and Guo Zhijun. In their opening remarks, the two introduced that Gao Zhisheng is a Chinese human rights lawyer who had provided legal assistance to religious believers, dissidents, and vulnerable groups, and was consequently subjected to long-term suppression, detention, and surveillance.
On August 13, 2017, Gao Zhisheng was secretly taken away from his residence in Yulin, Shaanxi. His family subsequently searched for him and reported the case to the police, but local police denied detaining him. It was not until more than three weeks later that the family learned from a local official that Gao Zhisheng had been taken to Beijing.
However, since then, where he actually is, who controls him, and how his physical condition is—the family members have never received any public or credible explanation.
From 2017 to 2026, a full nine years.
Therefore, all speeches, slogans, and actions on that day ultimately returned to the same question: Where is a living human being, a husband, a father? Where on earth is he?
Participants held high year placards from 2017 to 2026 in front of San Francisco City Hall. An empty chair at the center of the scene symbolized Gao Zhisheng’s nine-year absence.
At the event site, an empty chair was placed in the center of the crowd.
The hosts introduced that this empty chair represented a person who should have been able to freely return home and freely speak, yet has been absent for nine years.
Subsequently, participants raised placards in sequence: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
Ten years, recording nine years of disappearance, as well as recording nine years of a family’s waiting. In 2017, Gao Zhisheng lost his freedom.
One year passed, no answer; two years passed, no answer; five years passed, still no answer. Until 2026, when the last year placard was raised, people were still asking: “Where is Gao Zhisheng?”
Afterward, the entire crowd observed nine seconds of silence.
One second representing one year. Nine seconds is very brief, but for a family that does not know the life, death, or whereabouts of a loved one, nine years is more than three thousand days and nights without an answer. These nine seconds were also dedicated to all victims of enforced disappearance and to those families still waiting for their loved ones to return home.
Fang Zheng, Chairman of the San Francisco Branch of the China Democracy Party, put forward three demands on behalf of the organizers at the scene:
First, immediately disclose the true whereabouts of lawyer Gao Zhisheng and restore his personal freedom;
Second, call on the U.S. government and Congress to continuously pay attention to the Gao Zhisheng case and pursue accountability for the persecution;
Third, call on American media, human rights organizations, and the public to speak out together to bring the Gao Zhisheng case into the public view of American society.
Fang Zheng expressed hope that all participants would, through various means, spread these demands across the United States and throughout the world, enabling the international community to sustain its concern for Gao Zhisheng and help him regain his freedom at an early date.
A period of nine years is enough for a news story to fade from the front page, but what Fang Zheng emphasized is precisely this: a person’s whereabouts cannot cease to be questioned simply because time has passed.
Zheng Yun, Secretary-General of the San Francisco Branch of the China Democracy Party, stated in her speech that Gao Zhisheng was once a lawyer who used the law to defend the vulnerable and fight for the rights of those suffering from injustice. However, when a person who once strived to safeguard rights for others loses his own freedom, and when no one can even confirm where he is, this in itself serves as a grave interrogation of the rule of law and human rights.
Zheng Yun expressed that nine years of enforced disappearance have taken away not only Gao Zhisheng’s personal freedom, but have also plunged a family into a prolonged and agonizing wait.
A wife is waiting for her husband, and children are waiting for their father.
For a family, what they ask for is not any special privilege, but merely the hope to know where their loved one is, whether he is safe, and when he can return home.
Zheng Yun emphasized that the Gao Zhisheng case is by no means a story of the past. Nine years can allow a child to grow up and turn much news into old history, but it cannot allow a forcibly disappeared person to thereby vanish from public memory.
She maintained that enforced disappearance produces not only silence, but also attempts to manufacture oblivion; and that people standing here today are doing so precisely to reject this oblivion.
“As long as there are still people asking, Gao Zhisheng has not been disappeared; as long as there are still people shouting his name, these nine years of waiting will not be buried by silence.”
Zheng Yun concluded by calling for the disclosure of Gao Zhisheng’s true whereabouts, so that he may regain his freedom and be reunited with his family.
Hu Pizheng, Vice Chairman of the San Francisco Branch of the China Democracy Party, began his remarks by reflecting on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s thoughts regarding “truth.”
He stated that under a system fearful of truth, speaking truth itself may carry a price. Some lawyers, journalists, writers, and civic activists have been suppressed, and have even lost contact with their families and the outside world, simply for investigating facts, criticizing power, and insisting on expressing themselves.
“If a government were truly confident, why would it fear a single word of truth? If a regime truly represented the people, why would it fear the people knowing the truth?”
Hu Pizheng expressed that genuine freedom does not mean everyone holds the same viewpoint, but rather that every individual possesses the right to support, criticize, speak out, or remain silent.
He said: “When the people choose not to know, that is freedom; when the government does not allow the people to know, that is a blockade. One is a choice, the other is coercion.”
At the conclusion of his speech, he remarked: “Truth will not destroy a country. What is truly terrifying is when everyone knows the truth, yet no one dares to speak the truth anymore!”
Liu Jingtao, a member of the China Democracy Party, further extended the focus to even more individuals who have suffered enforced disappearance, secret detention, and long-term loss of contact with the outside world.
He stated that enforced disappearance never harms just a single person. When an individual suddenly vanishes from society, leaving family members unable to even know whether their loved one is dead or alive, this unanswered waiting in itself constitutes continuous harm to the family.
He called on the international community to maintain sustained attention on related cases and emphasized: “Demanding truth is not a crime. Supervising government is not a crime. Making people ‘be disappeared’ cannot be a means of governance.” “Do not let them be forgotten, and do not let the truth be buried.”
Li Shuqing, a member of the China Democracy Party, asked a series of pointed questions at the scene: “Where on earth is Gao Zhisheng? Is he still alive right now? Who deprived him of his freedom? Who has the right to make a living person ‘disappear’ from this world?”
Li Shuqing stated that a government may disagree with a person’s viewpoints, but it has no right to make a living human being disappear, nor can it force his family to wait in prolonged darkness and the unknown.
“A person can be forcibly taken away, but the truth will not vanish forever; a voice can be suppressed, but justice will not fall silent because of it!”
He concluded by calling out loudly: “Gao Zhisheng, we have not forgotten you! So long as you are denied freedom for even a single day, we will not cease asking for a single day: Where are you?”
Lyu Xiaojing, deputy director of the Fremont Branch of the China Democracy Party, stated that the United Nations established the “International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances” precisely to remind the world that no government may secretly take a person away and make them vanish from the law and public view.
She said that people on that day were speaking out not only for Gao Zhisheng, but also for all victims of enforced disappearance, as well as for those families still waiting for fathers, husbands, wives, and children to return home. “Where is Gao Zhisheng? Forcibly disappeared for nine years—today we demand an answer!”
In addition, Zhou Xiaojun, Guo Jianxin, Wu Zhichuang, Yao Rongtao, and others also spoke at the scene successively, expressing concern over Gao Zhisheng’s situation and the issue of enforced disappearance. Different speeches ultimately converged on the same demand: nine years later, an open and credible answer is still needed regarding Gao Zhisheng’s whereabouts.
Following the expressions of solidarity for Gao Zhisheng, the day’s event entered another important segment—the official launch of the TTT Action | Truth Action.
Host Li Xiaolin introduced that the initial inspiration for this action came from this year’s commemoration of the 37th anniversary of June Fourth. On June 3 of this year, during the June Fourth commemoration event in front of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, Fang Zheng spoke about why, even after more than thirty years, people still commemorate June Fourth: because some try to let history be forgotten and truth be covered up, while what people need to do is to continue telling the truth. Li Xiaolin expressed that these words led him to begin thinking: Could “telling the truth” be made into an action that is simpler, easier to disseminate, and able to cross languages and national borders?
Thus came the three English words: TELL THE TRUTH. The first letters of the three words form: T—T—T. But the truth cannot remain merely in a slogan; it must also be transformed into action. Hence was formed: TTT ACTION | Truth Action. Its core concept is: Speak out the covered-up truth, let more people know, and let more people see.
Li Xiaolin simultaneously announced that as of that day, 7 organizations and more than 50 individuals had jointly become co-initiators of TTT Action. He emphasized that TTT does not belong to any single individual. Different people and different organizations can maintain their own identities and independence, yet can stand together for a common goal: TELL THE TRUTH—speak out the truth.
Fang Zheng announced: “TTT Action | Truth Action is officially launched!” Because Fang Zheng’s speech regarding “telling the truth” provided the initial inspiration for TTT Action, Fang Zheng personally announced the official launch of the action on that day.
Participants thereupon unfurled banners, raised their fists, and shouted together: “TELL THE TRUTH！” “WHERE IS GAO ZHISHENG?” “WHERE IS GAO ZHISHENG?” “TELL US WHERE HE IS!” “STOP ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES!”
After the formal rally concluded, participants did not leave immediately. Holding prepared English materials, they walked up to ordinary members of the public passing by San Francisco City Hall, introducing who Gao Zhisheng is, why people have continuously asked for his whereabouts for nine years, and what enforced disappearance means to individuals and families.
Some passersby stopped after hearing the introduction, taking the materials to read carefully; others continued communicating with participants to inquire about the situation.
From the shouting of dozens of people in front of City Hall to handing an English information sheet to an ordinary person who might never have heard of Gao Zhisheng before, the day’s “TELL THE TRUTH” transformed from a slogan into concrete action: enabling those who do not know to begin knowing, and enabling those who have not seen to begin seeing.
As the event neared its conclusion, Gao Zhisheng’s wife Geng He contacted the organizers.
She expressed that due to work obligations she was currently out of town and deeply regretted being unable to attend the day’s event in person, while expressing her gratitude to everyone who came to attend the event, continuously paying attention to and speaking out in support of lawyer Gao Zhisheng.
This message from a family member also gave the empty chair at the scene an even heavier and more concrete meaning.
For the outside world, “Where is Gao Zhisheng?” is a public inquiry that has persisted for nine years.
Yet for his wife and children, it is first and foremost a request as ordinary as can be, yet one that has remained unfulfilled for nine years: A husband returning home. A father returning home.
The event ultimately comes to an end, the crowd will disperse, the banners will be folded away, and the ten year placards from 2017 to 2026 will also be taken away.
But as long as that chair remains empty, this questioning does not end.
2017—2026.
Nine years of disappearance demand the truth;
Nine years of waiting demand an answer.
Where is Gao Zhisheng?
List of democracy activists participating in this event: Fang Zheng, Zheng Yun, Li Xiaolin, Zhou Yunlong, Hu Pizheng, Zhou Xiaojun, Li Shuqing, Liu Jingtao, Lyu Xiaojing, Guo Zhijun, Chang Guodong, Guan Yongjie, Gao Yingfen, Zhou Qilu, Guo Pan, Zhao Ming, Yao Rongtao, Li Xu, Zhang Pengzhan, Gao Junying, Wu Zhichuang, Guo Jianxin, Li Xiaoyan, Gu Tao, etc. (names listed in no particular order)
On-site interviews and event vignettes.
Editor: Li Jing Proofreader: Cheng Xiaoxiao Translator: Ge Bing
