HONG KONG – Chinese law enforcement has threatened to revoke the licenses of two lawyers hired to help a group of Hong Kong protesters arrested last year while trying to flee to Taiwan by speedboat.
Ten activists were convicted last week by a court in the Chinese city of Shenzhen on illegal border crossings and sentenced to seven months to three years in prison. Two other members of the group who were minors during their arrest in August were returned to Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
For Hong Kong’s opposition to democracy, the case highlighted the fears of the legal system concentrated by the Communist Party on the mainland and the risks it poses to the city’s tradition of an independent judiciary.
Most of the group are facing charges in Hong Kong related to protests against the government in 2019, including arson, riots, assault on police officers and gun ownership. One member, Andy Li, was investigated on suspicion of violating the National Security Act imposed on Hong Kong last year. They were arrested by the Chinese Coast Guard on their way to Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that claims Beijing as territory, and detained on the mainland.
The two lawyers, Lu Siwei and Ren Quanniu, were appointed by relatives of the activists, but were banned from representing them. Instead, the accused were forced to rely on government-appointed lawyers.
The two lawyers tackled very sensitive cases. Lu was formally reprimanded after representing another human rights lawyer in 2019 who openly criticized the Chinese leadership. Mr. Ren recently represented Zhang Zhan, a civilian journalist who was sentenced last week to four years in prison for her coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Mr. Ren received a notice from the Henan Province Department of Justice, where he is licensed, and said he was upset about the handling of a case in 2018 in which he was a member of Falun Gong, represents the forbidden spiritual group. He said the case is likely to be an apology.
“The direct reason is definitely related to the case of Hong Kongers and the case of Shanghai Zhang Zhan,” he said in an audio message.
In a letter sent by the Justice Department of Sichuan Province, where he is registered, to Mr. Lu was sent, he is said to have ‘repeatedly published inappropriate language online’, without giving details. He said he intended to seek trial, calling the government’s case against him ‘unexplained repression and prosecution’.
The Chinese authorities have been using annual licensing requirements for years to intimidate lawyers involved in sensitive cases and threaten the threat of disillusionment to punish those who do not hold back.
Mr. Lu and Mr. Ren was each given three days to arrange hearings on their licenses, but Mr. Ren said he had little hope of a successful career.
A group representing relatives of the activists said they believed the timing of the action against the two lawyers indicated they were “apparently taking revenge for their involvement” in the Hong Kong case.
“The authorities said in their statement that they had dared to go against the forces and the continued enforcement of the rights of the twelve, and that they had to end their profession.”
The families said they hope to visit their inmates as soon as possible, but so far they have received little information from the legal attorneys.
Tiffany May contribution made.