A/HRC/7/3/Add.1 page 68 Para 53. Country Date Type Mandate Allegations transmitted Gao Zhisheng (A/HRC/4/33/Add.1, para. 44). Government response but this is not because of their opinions or belief: it is because their activities have breached the law, harming the interests of the State, society and individuals. In the course of the present case, the relevant departments have strictly observed due process and have guaranteed the exercise by the parties involved of their lawful rights and interests. By letter dated 12/02/07, the Government informed that on 15 August 2006, he was placed under investigation by the Beijing public security authorities, in accordance with the law, on suspicion of the commission of a criminal offence, and, on 21 September, his arrest warrant was approved by the procurator’s office. Beijing people’s procurator’s office No. 1 laid charges against Gao for the offence of fomenting subversion of the authority of the State and initiated proceedings against him with Beijing people’s intermediate court No. 1. On 22 December 2006, the Beijing city people’s intermediate court No. 1 ruled that Gao’s conduct constituted the offence of incitement to subversion of the authority of the State, but in view of his meritous conduct denouncing the offences of other culprits, decided, in accordance with the law, that his penalty should be rendered more lenient and to reduce it below the statutory level. Thus, he was sentenced to three years’ fixed term imprisonment, to be suspended for five years, and stripped of his political rights for one year. After the court handed down its judgment at first instance, Gao declared himself willing to accept the verdict and did not lodge an appeal. The