© Illustration: Badiucao
In China like everywhere else, people want to live in dignity and be able not only to meet their basic needs and care for their families, but also to express themselves freely and treat each other fairly and with respect. Unfortunately, the government perceives efforts to create a more inclusive, vibrant and just Chinese society as a threat to its power. China's human rights lawyers provide hope for a fairer future.
In a highly restrictive environment such as China, human rights lawyers’ advocacy to uphold rights guaranteed by Chinese laws has become a form of political resistance. Also known as weiquan lawyers (维权律师: ‘rights defense lawyers’), human rights lawyers play a vital role in using the system to push for change, calling for a more transparent government, free speech, a self-governed and autonomous legal profession, and an independent judiciary. Despite being exposed to great risk and obstacles under the Party-State’s increasingly tight grip, human rights lawyers continue to represent victims of abuses and vulnerable groups, searching for ways to protect basic rights and promote incremental rule of law reform in China.
For a long time, human rights lawyers have been praised as heroes and endured the shackles of repression, yet their lived experiences as flesh and blood persons have often been overlooked. Their stories, from young students and citizens to fearless advocates, are a source of inspiration for younger generations of lawyers to come.
They show the power of acts of resistance and enduring, as well as sparks of hope. Acts of resistance might start small; even just the refusal to stay silent when ordered to do so can be an act of resistance, and such small acts can be contagious and inspire others.
Discover our new featured series on China’s human rights lawyers:
– Albert Ho Chun-yan, human rights lawyer and pro-democracy leader in Hong Kong
– Yu Wensheng, the man who never yields
– Chow Hang-tung, a barrister-turned-defendant who knows the legal system better than the judge
– Qin Yongpei, a lawyer on a mission to give a voice to the voiceless
A newly-released confidential letter by a UN Special Rapporteur documents the disbarment of human rights lawyers in China and the tightening ideological control over lawyers and law firms. The UN expert denounces disappearances, closed-door trials, harassment of relatives, travel bans, and other abuses targeting human rights lawyers.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
13 April 2024 marked one year since the Chinese authorities arbitrarily detained prominent human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife, woman defender Xu Yan. As their health steadily deteriorates, 30 rights groups and the European Union have renewed their call for their prompt release.
