Thirteen former heads of Hong Kong’s prestigious Bar Association have launched a petition calling on Beijing to stop unlawful and arbitrary conduct towards lawyers on the mainland.
According to the Hong Kong attorneys, Chinese human rights lawyers have been subjected to intimidation and harassment due to a nationwide crackdown, reports Radio Free Asia.
The petition denounces the conduct of the Chinese government and calls for it to respect the constitutional rights of detained lawyers and their clients.
At least 236 lawyers, legal staff and human rights activists were being detained or restricted by the Beijing government as of 3pm yesterday, according to the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group.
The petition comes on the heels of several high profile cases of prominent lawyers and law firms in China facing various criminal charges as well as a high level of scrutiny and monitoring.
Recently, Zhou Shifeng, the director of Beijing’s Fengrui law firm, pled guilty to charges of disrupting public order and violating trail proceedings.
Zhou’s guilty plea is most likely be a tactic in the hope of lightening the sentences of his colleagues, according to Hong Kong lawyers.
Photo: Jorge Gonzalez via Flickr
Hong Kong barristers launch petition to defend detained lawyers in China
By Isaac Cheung
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