China Aid Association
(BEIJING – July 22, 2009) On July 17, Chinese authorities shut down a legal research center a week after revoking the licenses of more than 50 lawyers in Beijing. Several of the center’s founders and lawyers are part of ChinaAid’s Legal Defense Team, which helps persecuted house church Christians. Some of the Legal Defense Team members include Dr. Teng Biao, Attorney Zhang Xingshui and Attorney Li Heping.
According to Radio Free Asia, 20 officials from Beijing’s Civil Affairs Bureau arrived at the Open Constitution Initiative (Gongmeng) legal center, questioned employees and confiscated computers. The authorities claimed that the center had not paid taxes, which the center denies. The center was fined 1.4 million yuan ($200,000 USD), and shut down two days later.
Open Constitution Initiative researches public welfare and offers legal aid, and has represented many human rights victims in cases against the Chinese government. Attorneys from Open Constitution Initiative claim that the closure of the legal center is “purely a crackdown and retaliation with political motives.”
This action is the most recent in a series of attacks against human rights lawyers in China. On July 10, ChinaAid president Bob Fu spoke before a Congressional-Executive Commission on China roundtable Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) regarding the recent crackdown on human rights attorneys in China. At the roundtable, entitled “China’s Human Rights Lawyers: Current Challenges and Prospects,” Bob Fu presented the personal statements of seven lawyers who had suffered harassment and persecution from the government.
Bob Fu also presented a petition with more than 100,000 signatures representing concerned citizens in the U.S. and around the world who are asking for the immediate release of Gao Zhisheng, a Christian human rights attorney, who was kidnapped February 4, 2009 by Chinese security agents. Gao, along with many of the other attorneys targeted by the government, have been working with ChinaAid’s legal defense efforts for religious freedom cases.
Contact Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong and ask that the Open Constitution Initiative legal center be re-opened and that the licenses of the 50 attorneys be returned. Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
3505 International Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 495-2000
Fax: (202) 588-9760
NOTE: If you are a citizen of another country, please click here to find the contact information of the Chinese embassy in your own nation.http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/2490/
Click here to read a recent report from Radio Free Asia: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/lawyercrackdown-07172009164954.html/story_main?textonly=1
Sign the petition for Gao Zhisheng’s release at www.FreeGao.com.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
