Chinese legal authorities have warned two lawyers to nullify their license as they were found supporting a group of protestors from Hong Kong who was arrested last year while trying to escape to Taiwan by speedboat.
Ten of the protesters were charged with illegal border entry last year and sentenced to jail, ranging from seven months to 3 years. Two minors were sent back to Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous state of China.
Ren Quanni-who also represented the Wuhan citizen Journalist Zhang Zhen, received a legal notice from the local justice department in Henan Province, saying his license got revoked over his handling of a case from 2018 where he represented the outlawed spiritual party, a member of Falun Gong.
“The direct reason is related to the Hong Kongers’ case and Shanghai Zhang Zhan case,” he said in an audio message.
A letter sent by the Justice Department to Mr. Lu claimed that he was charged with "repeatedly publishing inappropriate language online," without giving any information. He said he intended to seek a hearing and called “inexplicable suppression and persecution", the case of the authorities against him.
For years, the Chinese authorities have revised their annual licensing condition to harass the lawyers involved in sensitive cases, with the threat of disbarment to those who don't step back.
Both of the lawyers have been given 3 days for their hearing over their license while Mr. Ren has little hope of successful appeal
A group representing activists' family believed that the timing of the action from the Chinese authorities against the two lawyers indicated that they were “obviously revenge for their involvement” in the Hong Kong case.
“For their daring to go against the powers that be and persistence in upholding the rights of the twelve, the authorities have resorted to ending their professional career and cutting off their livelihoods,” the families said in a statement.
The families have said they plan to visit their detained family members at the earliest opportunity, yet so far have received little data from the state-selected lawyers.
