Barristers at Doughty Street Chambers say they have been subject to surveillance, hacking and rape threats
UK-based lawyers have spoken out about being targeted by the Chinese state and its supporters in a campaign of intimidation including surveillance, hacking of bank accounts and rape threats.
The barristers, from Doughty Street Chambers in London, say there has been a coordinated and concerted campaign against them since they began acting for the jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media mogul, Jimmy Lai, three years ago.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC said she had received threats via email and social media of dismemberment, rape and death, which have extended to her family in recent months.
“I had a threat to rape one of my children because of my work,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s just an individual or if that’s someone who’s state-linked. What I do know is that if you have a campaign which is led by state authorities to say this lawyer is not to be trusted and they’re undermining the Chinese state by engaging in legal work with the United Nations, it sends a green light to [its supporters] to send material like that.”
As the leader of Lai’s international legal team, Gallagher has been targeted the most, including “hundreds” of attempts to hack her bank account. There has also been so-called “privilege phishing” – attempts to seek to persuade those who are targeted to divulge sensitive information, which the Bar Council has also warned about. Sometimes it is through emails created to appear to have been sent by Gallagher, or her contacts or colleagues.
On one occasion an email purporting to be from her was sent to all of the other KCs in her chambers saying she had decided to resign because her work on the Lai case was putting all of them and their families in danger. “I woke up in a hotel room to a whole load of messages saying: ‘Are you OK? What can I do?’” she said.
The team have also received WhatsApp calls which show up as being from colleagues when they are not.
UK-based lawyers for Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai targeted by Chinese state
