Rights and control in China: human rights lawyers share experiences at Law Society
9 March 2016
This time last year, Chinese lawyer Wang Yu (??) spoke at the Law Society about her work representing human rights defenders in China. Now she is in detention facing charges of subversion.
This week three Chinese human rights lawyers addressed a Law Society audience about the escalating repression in China and the risks and challenges facing lawyers defending themselves and their clients.
Beginning with the detention of Wang Yu and her husband on 9 July 2015, the Chinese authorities staged an unprecedented series of arrests of human rights lawyers. It is estimated that more than 100 human rights lawyers were arrested across China.
Following the mass arrests, president of the Law Society of England and Wales Jonathan Smithers wrote to the Chinese premier Li Keqiang, urgently raising the concerns of the Law Society and calling on him to release the lawyers.
Today the Law Society has reiterated the importance of an independent justice system and for legal professionals to be free from undue restrictions or sanctions.
Lawyers and judges should not face intimidation or physical attack for carrying out their legitimate professional duties.
