Beijing lawyers Li Chunfu (李春富) and Zhang Kai (张凯) were unreasonably questioned and beaten up by public security officers when they went to Jiangjin District of Chongqing Municipality yesterday (May 13) to handle a case about the sudden death of a Falun Gong practitioner who was detained in a local Re-education Through Labour Camp. Lawyer Li’s hands suffered many scratches after being handcuffed and his ears had little bleeding after his face was slapped by the public security officers.

China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG) strongly protests against the beatings and beatings of the two lawyers and demands the Chinese government to immediately investigate and punish the public security officers according to its laws. We also call on the international legal community to write letters to the Chinese government to express concerns about the beatings of mainland lawyers when they carry out their professional duties.

Both lawyers were brave to tell their experiences of being questioned and beaten up by the public security officers on their blogs after the incident (See Lawyer Li’s account in Chinese: http://lcf10345.blog.sohu.com/116337828.html and Lawyer Zhang’s account in Chinese: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4c6e59110100cxfv.html). Lawyer Li Chunfu, from Beijing Globe Law Firm, and Lawyer Zhang Kai, from Beijing Yijia Law Firm, went to the home of Falun Gong practitioner Jiang Xiqing (江锡清), 66, in Jiangjin District of Chongqing Municipality to discuss with his two sons about the medical examination report concerning the sudden death of their father. Jiang suddenly died in a local Re-education Through Labour Camp on January 28 this year. After they have chatted for about two hours, four public security officers suddenly came to question the two lawyers and ask them to produce their identification cards. Lawyer Li showed them his legal practicising license while Lawyer Zhang showed them his passport because he lost his identification card earlier. But the public security officers ignored their explanations.

At around 7pm on that day, about 20 public security officers suddenly came to forcibly take away the two lawyers. They were taken to the local police station. Lawyer Li was taken to a room where he was handcuffed to a cement divider. His wrists were scratched the handcuff’s gears and were bleeding. Two public security officers slapped his face for several times and made two written records of the interrogation. They also searched his luggage and computer. Lawyer Zhang was kicked into another room where his shoes and belt was forcibly put off. He was pushed into an iron cage and he was handcuffed during the 30-minute interrogation. His computer was searched and the officers made three written records of the interrogation. The officers also threatened Lawyer Zhang by warning him and Lawyer Li not to take up Jiang’s case. Lawyer Zhang later found that his hands were swollen and there were many scratches on his hands. He also felt pain on four fingers. Both Lawyer Li and Lawyer Zhang were only released at 12:40am. They both said they felt frightened, helpless and insulted.

According to Article 35 of the PRC Law on Lawyers which was amended last year, “Where a lawyer investigates and takes evidence on his own, he may investigate information related to the legal affairs handled from the relevant entity or individual, by presenting his lawyer’s practicing certificate and certificate of his law firm.” Article 37 also said: “The personal rights of a lawyer in practicing law shall not be infringed upon.” The public security officers in Chongqing apparently violated these regulations and it was outrageous that they even beat up and threatened the lawyers during interrogation. The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG) strongly demands that the Chinese government should strictly implement relevant regulations and punish the public security officers who have broken the laws.

China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG)
14 May 2009

Reference:

Lawyer Li Chunfu’s blog:
Account on Lawyers Beaten up in Jiangjin
http://lcf10345.blog.sohu.com/116337828.html (in Chinese)

Lawyer Zhang Kai’s blog:
Weiquan (Human Rights) Lawyers’ Risky Situation
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4c6e59110100cxfv.html (in Chinese)

Supporting Statement by Beijing Lawyers Li Xiongbing, Li Fangping, Dong Qianyong and Lan Zhixu:
http://canyu.org/n6843c6.aspx (in Chinese)

CHRLCG Statement on Beijing Lawyer Cheng Hai Being Beaten up in April 2009
http://www.chrlcg-hk.org/?p=406 (in Chinese)