Int’l lawyers group asks UN body to help Chinese lawyer missing for over a year

Lawyers ask UN to help missing Chinese lawyer

GENEVA — An international group of lawyers wants a U.N. human rights body to help an activist Chinese lawyer who has been missing for more than a year.

The lawyers say the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention should declare the disappearance of Gao Zhisheng a violation of international law.

They say Gao is being held without contact to the outside world.

Gao is among China’s most daring lawyers and has taken on cases involving the banned Falun Gong spiritual group.

His case has drawn international attention for the unusual length of his disappearance, and for reports that he was tortured.

The U.N. body has no enforcement powers.

It could not be reached for comment Wednesday.