Ex-DW Journalist Gao Yu's health worsens in detention

Concerns mounted on Monday for the health of Gao Yu, the Chinese journalist who was a regular contributor to Deutsche Welle, and who was sentenced to seven years in prison in April for "leaking state secrets." The court found her guilty of handing a document from inside the government to an American news service, but rights groups have argued that the 71-year-old was the victim of arbitrary statutes aimed at silencing dissent.

Gao's lawyer Shang Baojun told German news agency DPA on Monday that "her heart problems are getting worse" and her family told the press they are worried she could have a heart attack at any time.

According to the South China Morning Post, her brother Gao Wei had warned that she was in a "life-threatening situation" following a host of other medical issues reported by Shang Baojun. These included high blood pressure, a chronic skin allergy, as well as dizziness and sporadic hearing loss as a result of Meniere’s disease.

Shang told Deutsche Welle that while the other medical complaints were under control, Gao had to double the dose of her heart medication in order to give herself a bit of relief.

Her health issues date back at least 25 years, when Gao was arrested by police following the Tiananmen Square protests.

The South China Morning Post also reported that her lawyer had been told that by the Beijing High Court, who should have decided the outcome of Gao's appeal this week, had delayed their decision. A delay usually means waiting another two months, said Shang.

The Post said the document Gao was accused of leaking details "subversive influences" on society, which includes "'Western constitutional democracy' and 'universal values' such as human rights and free speech."