Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


China Lawyer Crackdown Enters 4th Year

by Joyce Huang

   Monday marks three years since China began a sweeping crackdown on
   human rights lawyers, Wang Quanzhang is still being held incommunicado
   and forbidden to meet his family or lawyers.
   With Wang being the last one awaiting trial, the crackdown, which has
   seen more than 320 rights activists arrested or harassed, continues to
   raise concerns about the mistreatment of detainees in custody.
   Wang's wife, Li Wenzu, says she has born witness first-hand to the
   Chinese government's suppression of her husband and all those who were
   caught up in the crackdown.
   "He [Wang] was [officially] indicted on Feb 14th, 2017 [for subversion
   of state power]. In the past year, no one [from the judiciary system]
   has dared to meet or brief us. I'm still not informed of his
   whereabouts no matter how many agencies I've tried to petition for my
   husband," Li told VOA over the phone.
   "The entire crackdown itself is a man-made miscarriage of justice,
   based on false accusations. It's unlawful," she said after having spent
   more than 1,000 days petitioning and looking for her husband.
   VOA's calls to news liaison offices of the procuratorate in Tianjin,
   which is still reviewing Wang's case, went unanswered.
   Call for Wang's release
   Wang hasn't been heard from since his arrest, which has many worrying
   if he is still alive.
   Sunday, rights activists in Hong Kong, organized by Human Rights
   Lawyers Concerned Group, marched to the Chinese government's liaison
   office, calling for Wang's immediate release.
   They further called for the Chinese government to cancel administrative
   penalties including license revocations imposed on more than a dozen of
   the Chinese rights defenders.
   The Hong Kong-based rights group's statistics found 16 rights lawyers
   and three law firms in China have been notified of their loss of
   license, most of which is related to the 2015 crackdown.
   "I think that's equally unfair and culpable. And it's seeking to
   deprive the livelihood and rights to work of these lawyers. Certainly,
   we're openly condemning it. I think this is the continuation of the
   crackdown," the Hong Kong-based group's chairman Albert Ho said.
   Details of torture
   The fate of detainees in custody including Wang has been weighing on
   the minds of many especially after those who have been released reveal
   details of their torture. that includes forced feeding with unknown
   drugs, sleep deprivation, beating and verbal and psychological abuses.

   Last week, lawyer Wang Yu, who was targeted early in the sweeping
   crackdown, told Hong Kong's Television Broadcasting Ltd that her
   earlier video-taped confession was coerced.
   The 47-year-old lawyer said she pleaded guilty of subverting state
   power after authorities threatened to harm her son.
   Coerced confession
   "Authorities said that if I plead guilty in accordance with their
   pre-prepared materials, I would have a chance to reunite with my son,"
   the TV network cited Wang as saying.
   Wang said, during interrogation, she was tied to an iron chair for five
   long days, deprived of sleep and confined in a small corner without
   enough room to stretch her legs.
   Wang was released on bail in late 2016 and sent her son overseas to
   study early this year.
   She complained authorities have confiscated her and her husband's
   passports, while being unresponsive to when she will be allowed to
   resume her practice.
   Wang's defense lawyer, Wen Donghai, says he does not believe the
   Chinese government would redress its wrongdoing and allow many rights
   lawyers to work again.
   "Based on their past track record, Chinese authorities rarely admit
   their own mistakes and correct their wrongdoing. For example, will it
   redress its mistake and give me back my lawyer license? I doubt it.
   Given the current political climate, it's impossible," Wen said.
   Wen said if it weren't for rights lawyers, who had worked as a buffer,
   Chinese authorities would have to face angry petitioners head-on.
   Forced medication
   Observers allege China is indifferent to charges of torture in its
   prisons.

   Jin Bianling, wife of lawyer Jiang Tianyong, suspects her husband has
   been under forced medication as observations from her father-in-law's
   recent visit to jail showed.
   In late 2017, Jiang was given a two-year sentence for inciting state
   subversion and will serve his time until the end of February next year.
   "He [Jiang] said that he takes medicines twice a day. Yet he's suffered
   a serious loss of memory. He can't remember much, including basic
   information such as what grade their daughter is in or his own home
   number," Jiang said, relaying message from her father-in-law.
   Jin, who has lived in the U.S. with her daughter since 2013, said that
   she filed a petition in late June to disclose Jiang's medication, but
   the administration of prisons in Henan province hasn't replied.
   VOA's calls to the administration went unanswered.
   Call for international pressure
   Following renewed allegations of coerced confession and medication,
   international rights groups have called on other nations to continue to
   pressure China into ending the crackdown.
   Ho, however, said that it is "disappointing" and "short-sighted" that
   Western democracies have put their priorities on maintaining good
   diplomatic relations with China despite the country's poor human rights
   record.