Five Years after 709 Crackdown, Lawyers Continue to Face Repression and Punishment

Beginning around July 9, 2015, Chinese authorities conducted a nationwide and coordinated crackdown (709 Crackdown) that affected over 300 human rights lawyers, legal professionals, and rights advocates.[i] At least fifteen individuals detained in the crackdown have been convicted on criminal charges.[ii] In a recent interview, one of the detained lawyers Sui Muqing recalled that suppression of rights lawyers began to intensify around 2014, after a long period when “lawyers were the only group willing to speak out” and were asked by grassroots activists “to take the lead [in rights defense movements].”[iii] Authorities consistently accused lawyers of committing crimes endangering state security, reflecting the view that lawyers presented a political threat to the state. The 709 Crackdown drew criticism from the international community,[iv] with a UN special rapporteur observing that “the crackdown on human rights lawyers . . . made it very difficult for lawyers to be other than governmental facilitators.”[v]

Five years after the 709 Crackdown, lawyers continue to face repression, intimidation and punishment for attempting to protect human rights in China. Beside imprisonment, the Chinese government use other administrative means, including disbarment, to target lawyers who express critical views or who advocate for clients whom the Chinese government tried to suppress, including petitioners, Christians, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and democracy and labor advocates. As of July 2020, three individuals are still serving lengthy sentences for “subversion of state power,” and many of those released are subject to surveillance, harassment, and economic restrictions. Lawyers who provided legal representation during the crackdown became targets of political persecution themselves. As rights lawyers continue to face criminal prosecution, authorities further institutionalize control over the legal profession by restricting speech and requiring loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.

Recent Developments

During the 2020 reporting year, Chinese authorities continued to suppress human rights lawyers and advocates by arbitrarily detaining them or by undermining their ability to render legal help. These individuals include the following:

  • Zhou Shifeng, Hu Shigen, and Wu Gan continued to serve their sentences ranging from seven to eight years on state security charges.[vi] Chinese authorities detained them as part of the 709 Crackdown for defending people facing politically motivated prosecution.[vii]
  • As of January 2020, 71 year-old Li Yuhan remained in pretrial detention for over two years, as she continued to refuse to plead guilty.[viii] Prison officials tortured her by denying her medication and adequate food, and subjected her to degrading treatment through other inmates.[ix] Before her detention, Li represented Wang Yu, a lawyer detained in the 709 Crackdown and spoke to members of the UN Committee against Torture in November 2015 about the plight of human rights lawyers in China.[x]
  • As of March 2020, Yu Wensheng continued to await sentencing after a court tried him for “inciting subversion” in a closed proceeding in May 2019.[xi] Authorities denied him family visits and access to counsel.[xii] Yu’s detention may be connected to his legal representation of Falun Gong practitioners and to his filing of a complaint alleging illegality of the 709 Crackdown.[xiii]
  • After completing a sentence of 4 years and 6 months for “subversion,” rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang returned home in April 2020; however, he continued to be subject to the supplemental punishment of deprivation of political rights for five years, including the rights of speech, publication, and gathering.[xiv] In May, authorities from Shandong province told him that he already had broken the law by giving media interviews and advised him not to attend a private gathering, the invitation of which had never been publicized.[xv]

* * *

Authorities likewise suppressed lawyers who were not directly connected to the 709 Crackdown:

  • In December 2019, Chen Jiahong met with his lawyer for the first time in seven months since authorities took him into custody in April, reportedly for his speech calling for increased accountability of Party officials.[xvi] Chen’s colleague Qin Yongpei advocated for his release, which possibly led to Qin’s own detention in October 2019.[xvii] In February 2020, police interrogated Qin’s two daughters about Qin’s political speech.[xviii] Authorities held both Chen and Qin on state security grounds and deprived them of family and counsel visits.[xix] In October 2019, authorities suspended Lu Siwei’s law license for three months for representing Chen, citing a procedural irregularity.[xx]
  • In July 2019, the Shandong Justice Department revoked Li Jinxing’s law license based on five social media posts in which he talked about rule of law issues.[xxi] Li previously represented wrongfully convicted individuals and rights advocates in criminal proceedings.[xxii]
  • In December 2019, police summoned Lu Tingge on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and the local lawyer association started an investigation on him for “inappropriate speech.”[xxiii] Previously, Lu repeatedly demanded authorities to investigate a 2017 incident in which he was assaulted by court police when he was representing a criminal defendant in a religion-based prosecution; he also filed a complaint in 2019 alleging illegal conduct by the local justice bureau.[xxiv]

Abuse and Torture

Several individuals suffered torture at the hands of government actors, including when they were detained under “residential surveillance at a designated location” (RSDL) a form of coercive measure prescribed in the PRC Criminal Law that “may amount to incommunicado detention in secret places, putting detainees at a high risk of torture or ill-treatment,” according to the UN Committee Against Torture.[xxv]

For example, the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group reported in January 2017 that rights lawyers Wang Quanzhang[xxvi] and Li Heping[xxvii] had been tortured by electric shock to the point of fainting during the period they spent in RSDL.[xxviii] Li Heping’s wife said that authorities had forcibly medicated Li for 22 months with a drug that caused “muscle pains, lethargy, and blurred vision” and shackled him for a month in such a way that he could not stand upright.[xxix]

Family members of rights lawyer Li Chunfu[xxx] reported that he returned home in January 2017 in a severely altered physical and mental state, exhibiting paranoia and schizophrenic behavior[xxxi] as well as having damage to his neck and spine.[xxxii] Li told his wife that authorities had drugged him daily for the first portion of his detention.[xxxiii] In June 2018, the wife of lawyer Jiang Tianyong likewise reported that authorities force-fed Jiang medication daily, and that his memory had deteriorated severely.[xxxiv]

Rights lawyer Xie Yang told his lawyers that during the portion of his detention spent under RSDL,[xxxv] authorities deprived him of sleep, interrogated him for periods of over 20 hours, forced him to sit on stacked stools, punched him, kicked him, and kneed him in his abdomen and lower extremities on multiple occasions.[xxxvi] Xie noted that officials carried out these actions directly under the camera in the room to avoid being recorded.[xxxvii] Xie also identified over 20 officials who participated in his abuse[xxxviii] and revealed that officials repeatedly pressured him to confess and to keep quiet about his torture.[xxxix] Xie said in a letter that he reported the torture to two procurators, but they did not make a record of it.[xl] Party- and state-run media claimed that another detained lawyer fabricated the accounts of Xie’s torture,[xli] but Xie’s lawyer affirmed their veracity.[xlii][xliii]

In addition, rights advocate Wu Gan[xliv] and lawyer Wang Yu[xlv] both reported that authorities tortured them with methods including sleep deprivation and shackling of their hands and feet.[xlvi]

Restrictions on Practice of Law

Beside criminal prosecution, authorities persecuted, harassed, and imposed restrictions on rights lawyers by means including revocation[xlvii] and suspension[xlviii] of licenses, delay in the annual license renewal process,[xlix] exclusion from courthouses,[l] restriction of movement,[li] restriction on speech,[lii] and physical assault.[liii] By law, a person who has been convicted of a non-negligent crime is ineligible for a law license.[liv] Legal scholar Teng Biao estimated that, since the 709 Crackdown, some 50 lawyers had their law licenses revoked or were unable to renew their licenses, putting them in financial difficulties.[lv] In September 2018, several rights lawyers who lost their law licenses after the 709 Crackdown formed a public interest group based in Nanning municipality, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to provide legal aid and consultation services.[lvi] In January 2019, authorities in Nanning banned the group, alleging that it operated in violation of the Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations.[lvii]

Increasingly Restrictive Government Policies Require Political Loyalty

Amendments to two sets of regulations governing the licensing of lawyers and law firms took effect in 2016,[lviii] highlighting the government and Party’s policy to further control and restrict the legal profession in ways that may violate the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.[lix] The amendments to the Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law and Measures on Managing Law Firms added language mandating lawyers to support the Party’s leadership and prohibiting them from taking certain actions such as denying the government’s “cult” designations, provoking dissatisfaction with the Party or the government, signing joint petitions or issuing open letters to undermine the judicial system, and organizing sit-in protests and other forms of demonstration outside judicial or other government agencies.[lx] The Measures on Managing Law Firms requires firms to establish internal Party groups that will participate in their policymaking and management.[lxi] The amendments prompted opposition from some in the legal community, including a petition signed by 168 lawyers who claimed that the regulations violated China’s Constitution, domestic laws, and international standards.[lxii]

 

Selected Cases

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/Wu%20Gan.png]

 

Wu Gan

2010-00348

 

Date of Detention: May 19, 2015

Place of Detention: Qingliu Prison, Sanming municipality, Fujian province

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 8 years; detained as of July 2020

Summary: Mr. Wu, a well-known human rights advocate, was first detained in May 2015. He remains in prison since being sentenced to 8 years in April 2018. Currently held at Qingliu Prison in Fujian, Wu suffers from an untreated spinal cord injury sustained during pre-trial torture that limits the use of his arms and torso. The chronic pain from the injury often prevents him from sleeping, causing severe mental distress.

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Hu%20Shigen.png]

Hu Shigen 胡石

2004-02053

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin Changtai Prison, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 7 years and 6 months; detained as of July 2020

Summary: Rights advocate and church leader Hu Shigen has been detained since July 10, 2015 and received a sentence of 7 years and 6 months for "subversion of state power" on August 3, 2016. Before being detained, Hu had been hospitalized twice for coronary heart disease; his physical wellbeing has significantly deteriorated in prison. Hu's family repeatedly demanded Tianjin Changtai Prison officials to stop denying him medical care and to release him for medical reasons.

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Zhou%20Shifeng.png]

Zhou Shifeng 周世

2015-00272

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin Municipal Prison, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 7 years; detained as of July 2020

Summary: Zhou Shifeng, the director of Beijing Fengrui Law Firm, was one of the principal targets of the 709 Crackdown. Zhou's family and defense attorney have received scant access to him since his initial detention. In October 2017, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for his immediate release; the Chinese government has neglected to respond to this demand.

 

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Wang%20Quanzhang.png]

Wang Quanzhang 王全

2015-00278

 

Date of Detention: August 3, 2015

Place of Detention: Linyi Prison, Linyi municipality, Shandong province

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 4 years and 6 months; released

Summary: Rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for “subversion of state power” in January 2019 after almost 4 years of pre-trial detention. Mistreatments suffered by Wang included forced consumption of drugs and denial of family visits. His wife reported that Wang appeared to be traumatized and his six-year-old son was forced out of school by authorities as punishment for Wang’s status.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Yin%20Xu%27an.png]

Yin Xu’an 尹旭

2015-00335

 

Date of Detention: July 28, 2015

Place of Detention: Daye PSB Detention Center, Daye city, Huangshi municipality, Hubei province

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 3 years and 6 months; released

Summary: Yin Xu'an, a petitioner and human rights advocate from Hubei, was detained in July 2015 after gathering to protest the detention of Wu Gan. Sentenced in May 2017 to a prison sentence of 3 years and 6 months, Yin was released on December 27, 2018. While in detention, Yin received inadequate care for his hypertension and heart disease. In February 2019, local authorities extralegally detained Yin, preventing him from seeking medical treatment in Beijing. Authorities criminally detained Yin in May, after he posted online a video clip that made reference to the 1989 Tiananmen protests.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Zhai%20Yanmin.png]

Zhai Yanmin 翟岩

2016-00115

 

Date of Detention: June 15, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 2 PSB Detention Center

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 3 years, suspended

Summary: After being held in pre-trial detention for over a year on the charge of “subversion of state power,” Zhai Yanmin was convicted and later released on a suspended sentence in August 2016. The longtime pro-democracy and human rights advocate suffered a stroke in January 2018 that relatives blame on abuse while in detention, including forced consumption of medication.

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/resize/images/709%20Gou%20Hongguo-150x171.png]

Gou Hongguo 勾洪

2015-00331

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 3 years, suspended; under house confinement

Summary: Beijing-based human rights advocate Gou Hongguo was apprehended in July 2015 and sentenced for “subversion of state power” on August 5, 2016. In detention, Gou faced long interrogations, solitary confinement, and forced consumption of medication. He received a suspended sentence but remains in house confinement in Hebei province, where he has been denied surgery to remove biliary duct stones.

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/resize/images/709%20Li%20Heping-150x170.png]

Li Heping 李和

2015-00284

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 3 years in prison, suspended

Summary: Li Heping, a Beijing defense lawyer, was first detained in July 2015. After almost two years of pre-trial detention, Li returned home after receiving a suspended sentence. During detention, officials subjected Li to electric shocks, shackled him for prolonged period of time, and forced him to take medication. In February 2019, authorities denied the passport application made by his son Li Zeyuan because of Li Heping’s status as an ex-convict.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Wang%20Fang.png]

Wang Fang

2014-00362

 

Date of Detention: July 28, 2015

Place of Detention: Wuhan No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Wuhan municipality, Hubei province

Charge: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Status: Sentenced to 3 years in prison; released

Summary: Hubei rights advocate Wang Fang was detained in July 2015 and sentenced to 3 years in prison for picking quarrels and provoking trouble. While suffering from cervical cancer, Wang was forced to work in prison. Hubei authorities released her on June 11, 2018.

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Li%20Yanjun.png]

Li Yanjun 李燕

2016-00146

 

Date of Detention: June 15, 2015

Place of Detention: Weifang PSB Detention Center, Weifang municipality, Shandong province

Charge: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Status: Sentenced to 2 years and 5 months; released

Summary: Li Yanjun, a rights advocate from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was sentenced to 2 years 5 months in prison in September 2017 for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” after more than two years in pre-trial detention. Li completed his sentence on October 6, 2017. Authorities detained Li again when Li yelled “Down with the Chinese Communist Party!” in public in Nanning municipality, Guangxi, in July 2019. Days later, authorities transferred Li to a hospital after he initiated a hunger strike to protest his apprehension.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Liu%20Xing.png]

Liu Xing

2016-00214

 

Date of Detention: June 15, 2015

Place of Detention: Tai'an Prison, Tai’an municipality, Shandong province

Charge: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Status: Sentenced to 2 years; released

Summary: Human rights advocate Liu Xing was detained on June 15, 2015, for showing support for a criminal defendant. Authorities sentenced him to 2 years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in December 2016, releasing him in May 2017. While in detention, Liu endured prolonged interrogations and was forced to consume unknown medication for three months, which Liu believed to have caused noticeable memory loss.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Yao%20Jianqing.png]

Yao Jianqing 姚建

2016-00160

 

Date of Detention: June 15, 2015

Place of Detention: Weifang PSB Detention Center, Weifang municipality, Shandong province

Charge: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Status: Sentenced to 2 years in prison; released

Summary: Convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” rights advocate Yao Jianqing was detained for two years before being released on June 4, 2017. During detention, authorities subjected her to prolonged interrogations and denied medical care for her glaucoma.

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Jiang%20Tianyong.png]

Jiang Tianyong 江天勇

2011-00179

 

Date of Detention: November 21, 2016

Place of Detention: Henan No. 2 Prison, Xinxiang municipality, Henan province

Charge: Inciting subversion of state power

Status: Sentenced to 2 years in prison; house confinement

Summary: Authorities took rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong into custody in November 2016 while he was boarding a Beijing-bound train after meeting with a family member of a 709 detainee. He was indicted for “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to 2 years in prison. While in prison, Jiang was forced to consume medication daily, including for cardiovascular diseases he did not suffer from. Upon his release on February 28, 2019, state security officers detained Jiang, his father, and his sister without disclosing their whereabouts for several days. His family's home in Henan province remains under constant surveillance and his family members are subjected to harassment. Jiang still suffers from a spinal cord injury sustained during detention, as well as memory loss and confusion.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Zhang%20Weihong.png]

Zhang Weihong 张卫红

2016-00116

 

Date of Detention: June 15, 2015

Place of Detention: Weifang PSB Detention Center, Weifang municipality, Shandong province

Charge: Picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Status: Sentenced to 1 year and 8 months; released

Summary: Zhang Weihong, a human rights advocate, served a prison sentence of 1 year 8 months for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles.” After her release in January 2017, Zhang said she was diagnosed with emphysema during detention but did not receive any medical treatment. Zhang also was diagnosed with asthma and a bronchial disease, but she experienced difficulties in applying for medical insurance because of unspecified “remarks on her identification card.”

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Xie%20Yang.png]

Xie Yang

2015-00295

 

Date of Detention: July 11, 2015

Place of Detention: Changsha No. 2 PSB Detention Center

Charge: Inciting subversion of state power

Status: Convicted; 667 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: After his initial apprehension in July 2015, rights lawyer Xie Yang spent 6 months in RSDL before being formally indicted for “inciting subversion of state power.” In meetings with lawyers, Xie revealed that he was deprived food and water, repeatedly beaten, tortured by guards and police officers. Xie was convicted for the crime charged but was exempted from punishment after expressing regrets for his actions. Since his release, authorities prevented him from traveling to the United States to visit his wife and daughter, citing concerns for state security.

 

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Xie%20Yanyi.png]

Xie Yanyi 燕益

2015-00308

 

Date of Detention: July 12, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 2 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Inciting subversion of state power

Status: 543 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: Xie Yanyi, a Beijing human rights attorney, was held for 545 days on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power.” After being released on bail on January 5, 2017, he and his family endured constant surveillance by plainclothes police. In an interview in October 2017, Xie detailed the abuses he suffered while detained, including forced consumption of medication, daily interrogations, beatings, inhumane meals, and solitary confinement in a windowless cell. Since his release, Xie has been prevented from practicing law and his family members’ travel has been restricted.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Li%20Chunfu.png]

Li Chunfu 李春富

2015-00311

 

Date of Detention: August 1, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 2 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: 530 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: Authorities detained Beijing lawyer Li Chunfu on August 1, 2015 on suspicion of “subversion of state power,” holding him until January 12, 2017, including several months in RSDL. Upon release, Li was physically emaciated and emotionally distressed. He has shown symptoms of a mental disorder that may be the result of forced consumption of medication while in detention.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Liu%20Sixin.png]

Liu Sixin 刘四新

2015-00276

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 2 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: ~480 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: On July 10, 2015, authorities detained Liu Sixin, a Beijing legal assistant on suspicion of “subversion of state power” and later held him under RSDL. Authorities released Liu on bail in November 2016.

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Liu%20Yongping.png]

Liu Yongping 刘永平

2015-00333

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: ~390 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: Beijing human rights advocate Liu Yongping was taken into custody on July 10, 2015 on suspicion of “subversion of state power.” After more than a year in detention, including under RSDL, Liu was released on bail in August 2016, but he remained under police control. He and his family's freedom of movement continues to be restricted and their communications monitored.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Bao%20Longjun.png]

Bao Longjun 龙军

2015-00253

 

Date of Detention: July 9, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 2 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Inciting subversion of state power

Status: ~380 days of pre-trial detention

Summary: Lawyer Bao Longjun was detained on July 9, 2015 and held in RSDL. Authorities reportedly released him from police custody in August 2016. While Bao has performed some legal advocacy since his release, authorities have prevented him from practicing law without legal explanation. He and his wife Wang Yu have been unable to transfer funds to their son studying abroad in Australia.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Wang%20Yu.png]

Wang Yu 王宇

2015-00252

 

Date of Detention: July 9, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: ~360 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: Authorities detained human rights lawyer Wang Yu for over a year on suspicion of “subverting state power” and released her on bail in July 2016. A year after her release, Wang's bail conditions were dropped, although she and her family continued to be surveilled. Authorities tortured Wang while she was in RSDL custody, including deprivation of food and water and filmed strip-searches.

 

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Zhao%20Wei.png]

Zhao Wei

2015-00277

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: 363 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: Legal assistant of Li Heping, Zhao Wei was arrested on suspicion of “subversion of state power” after being detained on July 10, 2015. After a year in custody, including in RSDL, she was released on bail but remained under police control until her bail conditions were lifted in July 2017. In addition to her personal items and online accounts being confiscated by the authorities, Zhao said that she was sexually assaulted while in detention. Her lawyer, Ren Quanniu, was detained after reporting on her sexual assault.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/resize/images/709%20Li%20Shuyun-150x171.png]

Li Shuyun 李姝

2015-00283

 

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Tianjin No. 1 PSB Detention Center, Tianjin municipality

Charge: Subversion of state power

Status: 273 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: Trainee lawyer and Zhou Shifeng’s legal assistant, Li Shuyun was taken into custody in July 2015 on suspicion of “subversion of state power.” Authorities released Li and eventually dropped the case in April 2017. Li suffered torture including physical abuse, forced consumption of unknown medication, and ordered to assume stress positions for prolonged periods of time. After Li speaking up about her experience, authorities confiscated her phone and closed her online accounts. Li reportedly became too afraid to continue her legal training.

 

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Zhang%20Kai.png]

Zhang Kai 张凯

2015-00318

 

Date of Detention: August 25, 2015

Place of Detention: Inner Mongolia

Charge: Gathering a crowd to disrupt social order; stealing, spying, purchasing, and illegally providing state secrets and intelligence for overseas entities

Status: 211 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: In August 2015, authorities took rights lawyer Zhang Kai into custody and held him in RSDL for about six months, releasing him on bail to his parents' home in Inner Mongolia in March 2016. In August, Zhang gave a TV interview in which he criticized other lawyers detained in the 709 Crackdown. Zhang later retracted his criticism, saying that authorities had pressured him, after which authorities extended his bail conditions for another year.

 

 

 

Name

PPD Record No.

Case Information

 

[IMG | SOURCE: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/images/709%20Sui%20Muqing.png]

Sui Muqing 隋牧青

2015-00281

Date of Detention: July 10, 2015

Place of Detention: Guangzhou municipality, Guangdong province

Charge: Inciting subversion of state power; picking quarrels and provoking trouble

Status: 180 days of pre-trial detention; released

Summary: After detaining lawyer Sui Muqing for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” authorities added the charge of “subversion of state power” and began to hold him at an unknown location under RSDL, releasing him on bail in January 2016. Sui previously worked on several politically sensitive cases, including those of lawyer Ding Jiaxi, and rights advocates Guo Feixiong and Ye Xiaozheng. In 2018, the Guangdong Justice Department revoked Sui’s law license, alleging disruptive conduct at two hearings in which he defended rights advocates.

 

 



[i] China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, “‘709 Dazhuabu’ jinzhan tongbao” [“709 Crackdown” status report], July 24, 2019.

[ii] China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, “‘709 Dazhuabu’ jinzhan tongbao” [“709 Crackdown” status report], July 24, 2019.

[iii] China Change, “Interviewing Sui Muqing: As a Human Rights Lawyer, I’ve Sacrifice a Lot, but Gained Even More,” June 2, 2020.

[iv] See, e.g., Dominique Attias et al., “Letter From Legal Experts on Detained Chinese Lawyers,” reprinted in Human Rights Watch, January 18, 2016; “China’s Clampdown on Lawyers and Activists Draws Concern of UN Human Rights Chief,” UN News Centre, February 16, 2016.

[v] UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights on His Mission to China, Philip Alston, A/HRC/35/26/Add.2, 28 March 17, para. 72.

[vi] China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, “‘709 da zhuabu’ jinzhan tongbao” [“709 Crackdown” progress report], July 24, 2019; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Wu Gan” [Wu Gan], March 11, 2016; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Hu Shigen” [Hu Shigen], January 22, 2016; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Zhou Shifeng” [Zhou Shifeng], January 22, 2016.

[vii] Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Wu Gan” [Wu Gan], March 11, 2016; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Hu Shigen” [Hu Shigen], January 22, 2016; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Zhou Shifeng” [Zhou Shifeng], January 22, 2016.

[viii] ChinaAid, “Li Yuhan lushi yi an reng bu shen bu pan, qi lushi shenqing zhijie shifang” [Still no trial and no sentencing in lawyer Li Yuhan’s case, her lawyer apply for direct release], January 9, 2020.

[ix] Rights Defense Network, “Li Yuhan lushi an jinzhan tongbao: 2019 nian 4 yue 9 ri jiang kaiting shenli” [Lawyer Li Yuhan’s case progress report: trial scheduled for April 9, 2019], March 23, 2019.

[x] Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Li Yuhan” [Li Yuhan], December 6, 2017.

[xi] “Yu Wensheng ‘shan dian an’ sifa yandang qi qi shangshu jingguan yaoqiu lushi tanfang quan” [Yu Wensheng “inciting subversion case delayed, his wife writes to official in Beijing asking for lawyer meeting right], Voice of America, March 16, 2020.

[xii] “Yu Wensheng ‘shan dian an’ sifa yandang qi qi shangshu jingguan yaoqiu lushi tanfang quan” [Yu Wensheng “inciting subversion case delayed, his wife writes to official in Beijing asking for lawyer meeting right], Voice of America, March 16, 2020.

[xiii] “Yu Wensheng ‘shan dian an’ sifa yandang qi qi shangshu jingguan yaoqiu lushi tanfang quan” [Yu Wensheng “inciting subversion case delayed, his wife writes to official in Beijing asking for lawyer meeting right], Voice of America, March 16, 2020.

[xiv] William Yang, “Kuiwei wu nian yijia tuanyuan Wang Quanzhang: pan mibu duonianlai de kuiqian” [Family reunites after five years, Wang Quanzhang: hope to make up for what I owe them], Deutsche Welle, April 28, 2020.

[xv] Li Wenzu (Wang Quanzhang’s Wife) (@709liwenzu), “Thinking of May 13, domestic security officials from Jinan . . .,” Twitter, May 16, 2020, 9:34 a.m.

[xvi] “Guangxi renquan lushi Chen Jiahong Shandong dianfu guojia zhengquan an zuixin tongbao: Yulinshi jianchayuan yu 2020 nian 1 yue 9 hao shenqing yanqi shenli, fayuan yi tongyi yanqi,” [Latest circular on inciting subversion of state power case of Guangxi human rights lawyer Chen Jiahong: Yulin municipality procuratorate on January 9, 2020, applies to postpone trial, court already agrees to postpone], Independent Chinese PEN Center, January 15, 2020; “Chen Jiahong ‘Shan dian an’ mianlin qisu,” [Chen Jiahong’s incitement case is prosecuted], Radio Free Asia, October 18, 2020.

[xvii] “Qin Yongpei yi yin quefa zui zheng wufa ru zui gongan tu youdao jiashu zhizheng,” [Because there is no evidence to charge Qin Yongpei with a crime, police seek to elicit evidence from family members], Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2020.

[xviii] “Qin Yongpei yi yin quefa zui zheng wufa ru zui gongan tu youdao jiashu zhizheng,” [Because there is no evidence to charge Qin Yongpei with a crime, police seek to elicit evidence from family members], Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2020.

[xix] “Guangxi renquan lushi Chen Jiahong Shandong dianfu guojia zhengquan an zuixin tongbao: Yulinshi jianchayuan yu 2020 nian 1 yue 9 hao shenqing yanqi shenli, fayuan yi tongyi yanqi,” [Latest circular on inciting subversion of state power case of Guangxi human rights lawyer Chen Jiahong: Yulin municipality procuratorate on January 9, 2020, applies to postpone trial, court already agrees to postpone], Independent Chinese PEN Center, January 15, 2020; “Chen Jiahong ‘Shan dian an’ mianlin qisu,” [Chen Jiahong’s incitement case is prosecuted], Radio Free Asia, October 18, 2020; “Qin Yongpei yi yin quefa zui zheng wufa ru zui gongan tu youdao jiashu zhizheng,” [Because there is no evidence to charge Qin Yongpei with a crime, police seek to elicit evidence from family members], Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2020.

[xx] Rights Defense Network, “Lu Siwei lushi: jiu Chengdu luxie yi wo weigui jie’an wei you li’an diaocha, bu geiwo nian jian da san yue youyu, xian ni dui wo jinxing xunjie de jilu chufen de qingkuang tongbao” [Lawyer Lu Siwei: status report on Chengdu Lawyer Association’s investigation on my having taken cases in violation of the rules, refusal to pass my annual examination for over three months, and current proposal to reprimand and discipline me], October 15, 2019.

[xxi] Wen Shan, “‘Shenyuan lushi’ huo bei diaoxiao zhizhao” [“Justice seeking lawyer” may have license revoked], Deutsche Welle, July 20, 2019; Rights Defense Network, “Shandong zhuming renquan lushi Li Jinxing (Wu Lei) jiedao Shandong Sifating diaoxiao lushi zhiye zheng gaozhi shu” [Well-known Shandong human rights lawyer Li Jinxing (Wu Lei) receives notice revoking his law license from Shandong Justice Department], July 23, 2019.

[xxii] Wen Shan, “‘Shenyuan lushi’ huo bei diaoxiao zhizhao” [“Justice seeking lawyer” may have license revoked], Deutsche Welle, July 20, 2019; Rights Defense Network, “Shandong zhuming renquan lushi Li Jinxing (Wu Lei) jiedao Shandong Sifating diaoxiao lushi zhiye zheng gaozhi shu” [Well-known Shandong human rights lawyer Li Jinxing (Wu Lei) receives notice revoking his law license from Shandong Justice Department], July 23, 2019.

[xxiii] “Lu Tingge lushi bei yi shexian xunxin zishi zui chuanhuan bing bei luxie li’an diaocha” [Lawyer Lu Tingge summoned on suspicion of picking quarrels and provoking trouble and investigated by lawyer association], China Citizens Movement, December 15, 2019.

[xxiv] “Lu Tingge lushi bei yi shexian xunxin zishi zui chuanhuan bing bei luxie li’an diaocha” [Lawyer Lu Tingge summoned on suspicion of picking quarrels and provoking trouble and investigated by lawyer association], China Citizens Movement, December 15, 2019.

[xxv] UN Committee against Torture, Concluding Observations on the Fifth Periodic Report of China, adopted by the Committee at its 1391st and 1392nd Meetings (2–3 December 2015), CAT/C/CHN/CO/5, 3 February 16, paras. 14–15.

[xxvi] For more information on Wang Quanzhang, see the Commission’s Political Prisoner Database record 2015-00278.

[xxvii] For more information on Li Heping, see the Commission’s Political Prisoner Database record 2015-00284.

[xxviii] China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (chrlcg), “Li Heping and Wang Quanzhang Tortured With Electric Shocks To Faint” Twitter post, 23 January 17, 1:17 a.m.; “Li Heping, Wang Quanzhang Rendered Unconscious From Electric Shock” [Li heping, wang quanzhang ceng zao dianji zhi hunjue], Radio Free Asia, 23 January 17.

[xxix] June Cheng, “Wives of Chinese Torture Victims Beg Congress for Help,” World, 19 May 17; “709 Crackdown: Lawyer Li Heping Released, Forced To Take Medicine While in Detention” [709 da zhuabu: li heping lushi huoshi zaiya qijian zao qiangpo fuyao], Radio Free Asia, 10 May 17.

[xxx] For more information on Li Chunfu, see the Commission’s Political Prisoner Database record 2015-00311.

[xxxi] Chunfu’s Schizophrenia Suspected To Be Linked to Drug That Public Security Gave Him” [Li chunfu jingshen fenlie yi yu gongan gei ta yong yao youguan], Radio Free Asia, 16 January 17; Wang Qiaoling, “A Third Update on Lawyer Li Chunfu: He Was Drugged in Custody,” China Change, 15 January 17; Wang Qiaoling, “A Fourth Update on Lawyer Li Chunfu’s Situation: ‘What Are You Hiding From Me?’” China Change, 17 January 17; China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, “‘709 Crackdown’ Lawyers and Activists’ Case Update* (2015.10.24–2015.10.30),” 30 October 15.

[xxxii] Wang Qiaoling, “A Third Update on Lawyer Li Chunfu: He Was Drugged in Custody,” China Change, 15 January 17.

[xxxiii] Wang Qiaoling, “A Fourth Update on Lawyer Li Chunfu’s Situation: ‘What Are You Hiding From Me?’” China Change, 17 January 17.

[xxxiv] “Jiang Tianyong Force-Fed Medication in Prison, Memory Deteriorated Severely” [Jiang tianyong yuzhong bei qiangpo wei yao jiyili yanzhong shuaitui], Radio Free Asia, 27 June 18.

[xxxv] Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch, “Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang Placed Under Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location on Suspicion of Disturbing Court Order, Inciting Subversion of State Power” [Hunan xie yang lushi bei shexian raoluan fating zhixu, shandian zui zhiding jusuo jianshi juzhu], 15 July 15; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Individuals Affected by July 9 Crackdown on Rights Lawyers,” 13 July 15, updated 6 February 17; Rights Defense Network, “In 709 Crackdown, Arrest Approved for Lawyer Xie Yang, Lawyer Xie Yanyi, and Lawyer Li Heping’s Assistant Zhao Wei (Kao La)” [709 da zhuabu shijian zhong xie yang lushi, xie yanyi lushi, li heping lushi zhuli zhao wei (kao la) yi bei pizhun daibu], 11 January 16.

[xxxvi] Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (One)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (yi)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17. According to the meeting record, a domestic security officer told Xie that the amount of rest Xie would be allowed to have was undefined in the law and would be entirely at the authorities’ discretion, and could be as short as five minutes.

[xxxvii] Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (One)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (yi)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17.

[xxxviii] Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (One)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (yi)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17; Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (Two)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (er)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17; “Transcript of Interviews With Lawyer Xie Yang (1)—Arrest, Questions About Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group,” China Change, last visited 8 August 17. Xie Yang identified the following officials who were involved in torturing and abusing him, directly or in complicity: 1) Captain Li Kewei of the Changsha Municipal Domestic Security Detachment; 2) Lieutenant Wang Dehua of the Changsha Municipal Domestic Security Detachment; 3) Captain Wang Tietuo of the Sixth Brigade of the Changsha Municipal Domestic Security Detachment; 4) Lieutenant Zhu Heng of the Sixth Brigade of the Changsha Municipal Domestic Security Detachment; 5) Instructor Ye Yun of the Sixth Brigade of the Changsha Municipal Domestic Security Detachment; 6) Li Feng of the Hunan Domestic Security Corps; 7) Captain Xie Leshi of the Dongkou County Domestic Security Corps; 8) public security officers Zhou Lang, 9) Yin Zhuo, 10) Qu Ke, 11) Li Yang, 12) Zhou Yi, and 13) Zhuang Xiaoliang; 14) Department Director Liu Xiaohong of the Hunan Provincial People’s Procuratorate Second Public Prosecution Department; 15) procurators Duan Xiaolong, 16) Jiang Bin, 17) Li Zhiming, 18) Wang Zhiyong, 19) Fang Hui, 20) Hu Yongchao, 21) Li Weining, and 22) a deputy director surnamed Jin; and 22) Bailiff Yuan Jin. See also “‘China Human Rights Accountability Center’ Issues a Public Announcement To Collect Personal Information on Seven Human Rights Abusers Who Tortured 709 Lawyer Xie Yang” [“Zhongguo renquan wenze zhongxin” fabu gonggao, zhengji dui 709 lushi xie yang shi yi kuxing de qi wei renquan shihaizhe geren xinxi], Radio Free Asia, 31 January 17.

[xxxix] Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (One)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (yi)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17; Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (Two)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (er)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17.

[xl] “Xie Yang of the 709 Case Personally Wrote Letter Seeking Accountability From Changsha Procurators” [709 an xie yang qinbi xin wenze changsha jianchaguan], Radio Free Asia, 21 January 17.

[xli] “Investigation Reveals Fake ‘Torture Stories’ About Lawyer Xie Yang,” Xinhua, reprinted in Global Times, 2 March 17; “Truth of ‘Xie Yang Tortured’ Revealed: Fabricated To Cater to the West” [Jiemi “xie yang zao kuxing” zhenxiang: wei yinghe xifang pingkong niezao], Global Times, 1 March 17; Zhang Yan, “Story of Torture Is ‘Fake,’” China Daily, 2 March 17.

[xlii] Rights Defense Network, “Lawyer Chen Jian’gang: Before and After Meeting With Xie Yang” [Chen jian’gang lushi: huijian xie yang de qianhou], 3 March 17.

[xliii] Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (One)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (yi)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17; Chen Jian’gang, “Record of Meeting With Hunan Lawyer Xie Yang (Two)” [Hunan xie yang lushi huijian jilu (er)], reprinted in Rights Defense Network, 19 January 17.

[xliv] For more information on Wu Gan, see the Commission’s Political Prisoner Database record 2010-00348.

[xlv] For more information on Wang Yu, see the Commission’s Political Prisoner Database record 2015-00252.

[xlvi] Yan Xin, “Complaint by Lawyer Yan Xin Addressed to Tianjin Municipal Procuratorate” [Yan xin lushi zhi tianjin shi jianchayuan de konggao han], reprinted in Human Rights in China, 16 December 16; Shen Yu, “Lawyer of ‘Butcher’ Wu Gan Writes Letter to Tianjin Municipal Procuratorate, Saying Wu Tortured by Domestic Security Officials” [“Tufu” wu gan lushi zhi xin tianjin shi jianchayuan zhi qi zaoyu guobao jingcha kuxing], Radio France Internationale, 16 December 16; “Wang Yu Reveals Custodial Abuse for the First Time, 709 Supporters Protest at Courthouse in the Hague” [Wang yu shouci baoguang yuzhong shou kuxing 709 shengyuanzhe hai ya fating kangyi], Radio Free Asia, 10 July 17.

[xlvii] “Lawyer Zhu Shengwu’s License Revoked, Law Firm Faces Closure” [Zhu shengwu lushi bei chupai lusuo mianlin guanbi], Radio Free Asia, 22 November 17; “Guangdong Justice Bureau Attacks Without Warning, Rights Lawyer Sui Muqing’s License Revoked” [Guangdong sifating wu yujing tuxi weiquan lushi sui muqing zao diaozhao], Radio Free Asia, 23 January 18; China Human Rights Lawyers Group, “Weather the Dark Storm, Persevere for Rule of Law in China—A 2019 New Year’s Message from the China Human Rights Lawyers Group,” China Change, December 31, 2018; Rights Defense Network, “Guanyu Liu Zhengqing lushi jiang bei diaoxiao lushi zhiyezheng de jinji huyu shu” [Urgent letter calling attention to imminent law license revocation of lawyer Liu Zhengqing], January 1, 2019; Rights Defense Network, “Qin Yongpei lushi yin zao zhuxiao lushi zhiyezheng er qisu Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu Sifa Ting de xingzheng qisushu” [Administrative litigation complaint filed against Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region’s Justice Bureau by lawyer Qin Yongpei after revocation of law license], November 12, 2018; “‘Lushi hou’ chengli julebu zai zhan jianghu” [“Former lawyers” established club, again taking on challenges in the world], New Tang Dynasty, September 19, 2018; ChinaAid Association, “Zhongguo lushi de jingji lu Xie Yanyi bei zhuxiao zhizhao” [Thorny path of Chinese lawyers, Xie Yanyi’s law license revoked], ChinaAid Association, November 30, 2018; Rights Defense Network, “Zhongguo lushi hou julebu: Zhongguo lushi cunwang zhi qiu—Chen Keyun lushi xiao zheng shijian” [Chinese Former Lawyers’ Club: Critical time of Chinese lawyers’ survival—matter concerning revocation of lawyer Chen Keyun’s law license], November 4, 2018.

[xlviii] “License Revoked, Rights Lawyer Chen Jiahong Not Optimistic About License Reinstatement” [Zao tingpai weiquan lushi chen jiahong dui fupai bu leguan], Radio Free Asia, 30 November 17; Guang Xi Lawyers Association, “Circular Concerning the Implementation of Administrative Punishment on Guangxi Baijuming Law Firm and Its Lawyer, Chen Jiahong” [Guanyu dui guangxi baijuming lushi shiwusuo ji gai suo chen jiahong lushi shishi xingzheng chufa de qingkuang tongbao], 15 September 17.

[xlix] Liu Xiaoyuan, Rights Defense Network, “Lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan: I Have Been Unemployed for Over 2 Years Because of the 709 Case” [Liu xiaoyuan lushi: yin 709 an wo bei shiye 2 nian duo le!], 8 September 17.

[l] “Defense Lawyers Expelled From Shenzhen Courthouse, ‘Protecting Lawyers’ Rights’ Becomes Empty Talk” [Bianhu lushi zao zhuchu shenzhen fayuan “baozhang lushi quanyi” cheng kongtan], Radio Free Asia, 21 September 17; Rights Defense Network, “Ganzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangxi Barred Retained Lawyer Chi Susheng From Making Appearance in Ming Jingguo Case” [Jiangxi ganzhoushi zhongji fayuan jing bu yunxu ming jingguo an weituo lushi chi susheng chuting], 16 November 17.

[li] “Chen Jian’gang Under [Authorities’] Control While in Xiamen Handling Case, Movement Again Restricted After Release” [Chen jian’gang dao xiamen ban’an shoukong huoshi hou xingdong zai shou zu’nao], Radio Free Asia, 5 September 17; “Disbarred Lawyer Tang Jitian Prohibited From Leaving Country En Route to Hong Kong for Medical Treatment” [Bei diaoxiao zhizhao lushi tang jitian fu gang zhibing bei jinzhi chujing], Radio Free Asia, 12 November 17.

[lii] “Guangdong Lawyers’ Association Issues New Rule To Restrict Lawyers’ Online Speech” [Guangdong lu xie xin gui xianzhi lushi wangluo yanlun], Radio Free Asia, 3 August 18.

[liii] Lawyers’ Rights and Interests Concern Net, “Experienced Female Attorney Assaulted and Injured by Court Police When Handling Case in Xi’an Court, No Results After Six Months of Rights Defense” [Zishen nu lushi zai xi’an fayuan luzhi bei fajing dashang weiquan liuge duo yue wu guo], 21 November 17; Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch, “Rights Defense Lawyer Lu Tingge Assaulted by Court Police in Huili County, Sichuan, Hospitalized” [Weiquan lushi lu tingge zai sichuan huili xian zao fajing ouda ruyuan], 17 November 17.

[liv] Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Lushi Fa [PRC Lawyers Law], passed 15 May 96, amended September 1, 2017, art. 7(2). See also Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law [Lushi zhiye guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, amended 18 September 16, effective 1 November 16, art. 9

[lv] William Yang, “Zhuanfang: 709 da zhuabu dui weiquan lushi shi yige ‘qingxi’” [Exclusive interview: 709 Crackdown is a purge on rights lawyers], Deutsche Welles, July 9, 2019.

[lvi] “709 zhua bu jin? ‘lushihou julebu’ zai zhan jianghu [Are the 709 detentions unending? “Former Lawyers’ Club” engages in battle again], Radio Free Asia, September 18, 2018.

[lvii] “‘Lushihou julebu’ zao qudi daya shengji” [“Former Lawyers’ Club” banned as repression intensifies], Radio Free Asia, January 16, 2019. See also “‘Lushihou julebu’ zao daya faqiren tuichu” [Crackdown on “Former Lawyers’ Club,” initiators withdraw], Radio Free Asia, November 7, 2018; Ministry of Civil Affairs, Shehui Tuanti Dengji Guanli Tiaoli [Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations], issued February 6, 2016.

[lviii] Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law [Lushi zhiye guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, amended 18 September 16, effective 1 November 16; Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Law Firms [Lushi shiwusuo guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, amended 30 November 12, 6 September 16, effective 1 November 16.

[lix] Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, Adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, Cuba, 27 August to 7 September 1990, preamble, arts. 20, 23. The Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers emphasizes the right of having access to an independent legal profession and grants lawyers freedom of expression and association, as well as civil and penal immunity for good faith statements made in the course of carrying out their duties.

[lx] Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law [Lushi zhiye guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, amended 18 September 16, effective 1 November 16, arts. 2, 37–40; Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Law Firms [Lushi shiwusuo guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, amended 30 November 12, 6 September 16, effective 1 November 16, arts. 3, 50. For prior versions of the measures, see Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law [Lushi zhiye guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, effective 18 July 08; Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Law Firms [Lushi shiwusuo guanli banfa], issued 28 May 08, effective 18 July 08.

[lxi] Ministry of Justice, Measures on Managing Law Firms [Lushi shiwusuo guanli banfa], issued 18 July 08, amended 30 November 12, 6 September 16, effective 1 November 16, art. 4.

[lxii] “Proposal To Duly Repeal Measures on Managing Law Firms Recently Issued by Ministry of Justice” [Yifa chexiao sifabu xin ban lushi shiwu suo guanli banfa de jianyi shu], 30 September 16, reprinted in Constitution and Human Rights Net, 9 October 16. Other legal professionals and NGOs likewise voiced opposition to the amendments. See, e.g., “Three Human Rights Lawyers Call for Repealing Unconstitutional Measures on Managing Law Firms” [San renquan lushi huyu chexiao weixian de lusuo guanli banfa], Radio Free Asia, 27 September 16; “Chinese Ministry of Justice’s Measures on Managing Law Firms Caused Discontent, Lawyer Wang Quanping Alleges Minister Wu Aiying Responsible for Violating Law and Dereliction of Duty” [Zhongguo sifabu lusuo guanli banfa yin buman lushi wang quanping konggao buzhang wu aiying weifa shizhi], Radio Free Asia, 27 October 16; “China Issues Another Amendment, New Rules on Measures on Managing Lawyers’ Practice of Law, Lawyers Issue Statement of ‘Four Refusals’” [Zhongguo zai xiuding lushi zhiye guanli xin gui lushi fabiao “si bu” shengming], Radio Free Asia, 21 October 16; Yu Pinjian, “Angrily Denouncing Ten Violations of Measures on Managing Law Firms!’” [Nuchi xin “lushi shiwusuo guanli banfa” zhi shi zong zui!], Yu Pinjian’s Blog, 16 October 16; Chinese Human Rights Defenders, “Revised Measures on Law Firms Further Curb Independence of Chinese Lawyers (9/21–10/3, 2016),” 3 October 16; Human Rights Watch, “China: New Rules Gag Lawyers,” 25 October 16; Human Rights Now, “Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2017,” 24 January 17, 1–3.