Chinese courts can bar even those not accused of crimes from leaving the country

G ao jia , a seven-year-old American from New York, might not start his second year at school this September. During a family visit to China last August, his father, a Chinese artist called Gao Zhen, was arrested for “slandering heroes and martyrs” (Mr Gao is the elder of the well-known “Gao Brothers”, whose sculptures often mock Chairman Mao). The boy has not been accused of wrongdoing; neither has his mother, Zhao Yaliang. But in China, family members can be punished for the alleged sins of a relative. Ms Zhao has been put under an “exit ban” that stops her from leaving the country. With both his parents stuck in China, Gao Jia is also unable to leave.