June 2023 | 709 Commemoration | Joint Statement on Li Heping

The 7th 709 Human Rights Lawyers Day (2023)

Eight organisations across Taiwan, the US and the UK have come together to bring you the 2023 Human Rights Lawyers Awards Ceremony, which aims to bring attention to the challenges and difficulties faced by human rights lawyers in China and Hong Kong. Awards will be given to two lawyers from China and one lawyers from Hong Kong to commemorate their contribution to defending human rights and the rule of law.

These lawyers are facing difficult levels of suppression and persecution due to their work protecting human rights and promoting the rule of law. The award ceremony seeks to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of these brave lawyers, who have risked their freedom and safety to defend the rights and freedoms of others.

Further details: see Eventbrite

Documentary screening of 709 Lawyers - "709 Companion"

The documentary film screening will be followed by the awards ceremony in commemoration of the 7th 709 Human Rights Lawyers Day (2023).

"709 Companion" is a documentary film that portrays the experiences of lawyers, activists, and families affected by the 709 crackdown in China in 2015, which targeted human rights lawyers and activists. This movement has had a profound impact on the legal profession in both Hong Kong and China, and this film provides a unique perspective on the struggles, challenges, and triumphs of those involved.

Registration link can be found here.

“Defenders in the Courtroom” Exhibition

“Defenders in the Courtroom” is an exhibition that showcases the work of lawyers who have been put on trial for their defence of human rights and the rule of law.

The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to learn about the defenders, how they have had to defend themselves in the courtroom, and the continued challenges they face under the threats of the Chinese Community Party (CCP). It highlights the 709 Crackdown in 2015 and the current so-called 709 Crackdown 2.0 in 2023. Even today, we can see that the CCP will not stop its harassment of human rights lawyers in China. This exhibition demonstrates how lawyers’ roles are limited by the suppression of the authoritarian regime, such as detention, torture and disbarment. We hope this exhibition will remind all who visit to stay vigilant in the face of rising authoritarianism across the world.

The exhibition features a range of displays that highlight the work of lawyers across different areas of law and includes interactive displays, videos and photos that provide insight into the suppression of these lawyers.

A highlight of the exhibition is the story of Barrister Chow Hang-tung. Her self-defence in court is a powerful example of the importance of human rights lawyers in challenging the oppressive policies of the CCP. The exhibition displays Chow’s defence, which challenges the control of the national security law over the rights to assembly and freedom of association - vital rights for a free and democratic society. She is a paradigm of the courage and determination of human rights lawyers in the face of adversity. There will be an opportunity to write a postcard to her, which we will arrange to be sent to her in detention.

Registration link can be found here.

Chinese human rights lawyer Chang Weiping has been convicted of inciting subversion of state power and sentenced to three and a half years in prison, which will extend to July 2024. His judgement followed a secret closed-door trial in July 2022.

Chang was initially taken into custody in January 2020 and was released within the same month. However, he has been detained since October 2020, shortly after he uploaded a video to YouTube (a platform prohibited in China), chronicling his experiences of being tortured during his January 2020 detention, and the subsequent permanent physical damage. During both instances of his detention, his whereabouts were undisclosed.
 

Chinese Authorities Impose Travel Restrictions on Human Rights Lawyer Li Heping and Family

On 21 June 2023, the 29 Principles, alongside with other organisations, issued a joint statement concerning the situation of prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Li Heping and his family members. We expressed grave concern regarding the recent travel restrictions imposed on him and his family. On June 9th, Li, his wife, and 13-year-old daughter were barred from leaving the country by border police at Chengdu's Tianfu International Airport. The restrictions were on the grounds of supposed threats to national security. These measures infringe on their right to freedom of movement and raise serious questions about their legality. 

Li has been a prominent human rights advocate since 2002, representing politically sensitive cases and campaigning against the use of torture. Despite enduring 22 months of pre-trial detention and a secretive trial resulting in a suspended sentence, Li and his family continue to be subject to stringent control and surveillance by state authorities after his release in May 2017. 

The unjustified travel restrictions disrupt the education of Li Heping's children and infringe on their personal freedoms. The misuse of exit bans in China, demonstrated in the case of Li, represents a violation of a fundamental right to movement. The 29 Principles, alongside with other organisations, urged the Chinese authorities to lift the travel restrictions imposed on Li and his family and call upon the international community to monitor their situation closely and ensure the respect of their rights to freedom of movement.

Prominent Chinese human rights lawyer, Yu Wensheng, and his spouse, Xu Yan, were initially detained in May 2023. They were both charged with "picking quarrels and provoking troubles," an offence in China that is often seen as a “pocket-offence”. There are sources now revealing that the couple are likely charged with offences relating to national security. Yu himself was previously convicted of this offence and served a four-year prison sentence. He was only released in March 2022. 

The China Human Rights Lawyers Group has disclosed that the legal representative handling Yu Wensheng's case attempted to meet with him at the detention centre and at the Shijingshan Public Security Bureau on two occasions. Despite these endeavours, the authorities declined the lawyer's requests, citing imminent national security-related charges. The authorities further intimated the possible refusal of the lawyer's annual renewal, potentially jeopardising his legal career and, consequently, his livelihood.

Imprisoned Activist Xu Zhiyong Advocated Fasting on Tiananmen Anniversary in Defiance of Chinese Government's Censorship

Imprisoned human rights activist Xu Zhiyong urged Chinese citizens to observe a day of fasting on the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and massacre on 4th June 2023. From his prison cell, Xu published letter on social media, encouraging the commemoration of the event and the continued fight for freedom and democracy. Although public acknowledgement and discussion of the 1989 event is strictly censored by the Chinese government, Xu remains hopeful that such actions can bring about change.

Xu, alongside human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, was convicted of subverting state power in April 2023. They were respectively sentenced to 14 and 12 years of imprisonment, marking some of the longest prison terms ever handed down for civil activism amidst Xi Jinping's clampdown on dissent.

The trial of human rights defender Li Qiaochu has experienced further delay as her defence lawyer walked out of court to protest against procedural irregularities (source available in Chinese only). As per her defence lawyer, the court rejected Li's requests to call witnesses, provide evidence, and for the recusal of certain members who seem to have a conflict of interest.

Li was taken into custody in February 2021 following her outspoken criticism of the abusive treatment suffered by Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi during their detention. She was subsequently charged with inciting subversion of state power. It has also been reported that Li has been battling severe depression since April of this year.
 

Legal scholar Hao Jinsong has been detained for over 1200 days without trial, yet he remains unreleased. Sources have disclosed that he has been subjected to physical abuse by officials within the detention facility.

The United Nations expressed alarm over the detention of 23 individuals in Hong Kong on the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre on 4th June 2023. The people were arrested for "breaching public peace" during a commemoration of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Beijing. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the release of those detained for "exercising freedom of expression and peaceful assembly" on Twitter. All individuals were subsequently released, according to Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK.

Chow Hang-tung, a Hong Kong human rights lawyer who is currently detained, held a 34-hour fast to mark the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Reports have indicated that she was relocated to a solitary confinement cell on the same day, for reasons yet unknown.

On 16 December 2022, the United Nations' Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reached out to the Hong Kong Government, requesting comprehensive details about Chow Hang Tung's situation and the justification for her sustained detention. The Working Group has recently released its opinion on Chow's detention in June 2023, noting that the response made by the Hong Kong Government was late and lacked substantive engagement with the core issues highlighted by the Working Group. 

Specifically, the Working Group noted that the Hong Kong Government merely reiterated provisions from the Hong Kong National Security Law, without adequately addressing the specific concerns raised. The Working Group has determined that Chow Hang-tung’s detention is arbitrary, based on articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other findings, and requesting an immediate release of Chow Hang-tung. As a signatory, Hong Kong has ratified and domesticated the ICCPR. Its their legal obligation to ensure the protections outlined within the Covenant are upheld, as is also echoed in Article 39 in the Hong Kong Basic Law.

On 15 June 2023, the European Union (EU) legislators reiterated demands for sanctions on leading Hong Kong officials in response to the "declining fundamental freedoms" in the city. A resolution, supported by an overwhelming majority, condemned the rapidly deteriorating state of affairs in Hong Kong following the enforcement of the national security law by Beijing in 2020. EU legislators harshly criticised both Hong Kong and Beijing governments for their crackdown, which has led to the dismantling of political opposition, suppression of local media, and extensive imprisonment in the city.

The resolution called for the immediate and unconditional release of media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, facing trial without a jury on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. It also expressed deep concern over the pre-trial detention conditions of some detained defendants, particularly those in precarious health. The EU parliamentarians demanded targeted sanctions against John Lee Ka-chiu, Hong Kong's Chief Executive, and other officials involved in the city's ongoing human rights crackdown.