December 17, 2018
The wife of a detained Chinese lawyer and three supporters shaved their heads on Monday and attempted to submit to a Beijing court a petition protesting her husband’s indefinite detention.
Lawyer Wang Quanzhang, who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, disappeared in the sweep aimed at courtroom critics of the Communist Party authorities.
Charged in January 2016 with alleged “subversion of state power”, Wang is the only one of more than 200 lawyers and activists arrested in the so-called 709 crackdown who is yet to be tried or released.
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http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201812170050.html
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/international/daily/article/20181218/20571164 (CHINESE)
Statement of the Hong Kong Bar Association
Release of Lawyer Mr Wang Quanzhang Pending Trial
1. The Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) refers to an Open Petition Letter initiated by
the Human Rights Commission of the Geneva Bar Association dated 10 December
2018 and supported by a number of national lawyers organizations across the world
concerning the detention of lawyer Mr Wang Quanzhang (“the Petition”).
The HKBA understands that Mr Wang Quanzhang was among the mainland legal professionals interrogated and/or detained in 2015 for alleged offences ranging from “subverting state power” to “disruption of court order”.
According to the Petition, Mr Wang was taken by the police on 3 August 2015 and was charged in January 2016 for allegedly “subverting state power”. He has been held incommunicado for over three years without any form of due process, and there are concerns over risks of further deterioration of his health condition while in detention.
2. On related occasions, the HKBA had previously issued two statements respectively
on 18 July 2015 and 31 March 2017 calling upon the relevant Mainland authorities to
conform to due process and to respect established fundamental human rights of PRC
legal professionals and citizens.
3. The HKBA trusts that the relevant Mainland authorities, prosecutors and judges
responsible for the conduct of the trial are fully aware of such established entitlements and calls upon them to ensure their full and proper implementation.
Given the length of detention of Mr Wang, the HKBA urges that Mr Wang be
released as soon as possible pending trial.
HONG KONG BAR ASSOCIATION
Dated: 18 December 2018
候審中國律師王全璋先生
1. 就日內瓦大律師公會人權委員會於 2018 年 12 月 10 日所發出(並獲世界各地多個律師組織支持及聯署)關於中國內地有關當局扣留中
國律師王全璋先生一事的公開請願信(“該請願信” ),香港大律師公會(“公會” )作出以下回應。公會了解 2015 年中國內地各省市多
名法律專業人士被扣留及調查,而王全璋先生是其中一位,受查原因包括顛覆國家政權以及藐視法庭行為等指控。根據該請願信,王
先生於 2015 年 8 月 3 日被中國內地公安帶走,並於 2016 年 1 月被控以顛覆國家政權罪,至今被囚禁超過 3 年,期間與外界隔絕,並仍未有啟動任何法庭程序處理其控罪,該請願信同時關注王先生因長期被扣押而健康情況每況愈下。
2. 就相關情況,公會於 2015 年 7 月 18 日及 2017 年 3 月 31 日曾發出聲明呼籲中國內地有關當局履行正當程序盡快處理相關案件,並在
過程中嚴格尊重中國法律人士及公民的基本人權。
3. 公會相信中國內地負責該案審訊的有關當局,檢察官及法官清楚了解及會嚴格遵守程序公義,並尊重所有中國公民的的基本權利。鑒
於王律師已經被扣留一段非常長的時間,公會敦促中國內地有關當局於候審期間盡快釋放王先生。
香港大律師公會
2018 年 12 月 18 日
(Facebook, 18/12/18)
Tagged: China
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