January 16, 2019
Authorities in the southwestern Chinese region of Guangxi have raided a legal consultation company started by disbarred human rights lawyers and ordered it closed, RFA has learned.
Dozens of police officers on Tuesday raided the China Lawyers’ Club set up last September by Tan Yongpei, a former rights attorney stripped of his license by the local justice bureau for taking on too many “sensitive” human rights cases.
“There were more than 30 police officers, as well as officials from the civil affairs and justice bureaus, so 40-50 people in total,” Tan told RFA. “They told us we couldn’t hang up our sign, and that we are an illegal organization of banned lawyers.”
If the club continued to operate, members were warned that further action would be taken.
Police then went around the premises taking photos and left, after which Tan said he rehung the sign.
The club had initially lodged an application with the bureau of civil affairs to register as an organization, but was rejected, Tan said.
“They are afraid that Chinese lawyers may later form a political opposition, maybe a political party,” he said.
Tan said he plans to lodge an official complaint with the civil affairs department and to apply once more to have the club’s registration approved.
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https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/raid-01162019111843.html
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/china-and-tibet
http://www.chrlawyers.hk/?fbclid=IwAR0jq-5I-hRnm-HAfJp19pmgi-BSuQHWWG6tnr69ANJQ6rDFm9sPgqEf8iM (CHINESE)
Tagged: China, Human Rights Watch
IAPL Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers 
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