Letter from international legal community condemns arrests of Chinese lawyers
Among the Chinese lawyers arrested recently was Wang Yu, a prominent human rights lawyer in China. AP photo / Mark Schiefelbein.
Prominent lawyers and former judges joined with presidents of international bar associations in condemning in a Monday letter the recent arrests of Chinese lawyers and associates.
“You have repeatedly stated that ‘China is a country ruled by law,’ ” says the letter to Chinese president, Xi Jinping, which is published in the Guardian. “Yet the events just described appear entirely contrary to those commitments.”
President Paulette Brown told the New York Times (reg. req.) via email that the American Bar Association also is “concerned about the situation and its implications.”
Researcher Terence Halliday helped draft the letter, an American Bar Foundation news release says. The ABF is the American Bar Association’s research affiliate.
See also:
ABA Journal: “China’s latest crackdown on lawyers is unprecedented, human rights monitors say”
ABA Journal: “The most dangerous job in law”
ABAJournal.com: “Dissident criminal defense lawyers in China face many dangers, says researcher”
Wall Street Journal (sub. req., opinion): “The Dilemma Facing Rights Lawyers in China”
BBC News: “Swedish activist Peter Dahlin ‘confesses’ on China TV”
