Statement by the China Human Rights Lawyers Group on the Fourth Anniversary of the ‘709 Incident’

July 9, 2019

The world was shocked by the mass detention of Chinese human right lawyers on July 9, 2015 –– in what became known as the “709 Incident.” Following the secret sentencing of “709” lawyer Wang Quanzhang (王全璋), who was tried for the crime of “subversion of state power,” people thought that the “709 Incident,” at least for the time being, should have come to an end. But in fact, the opposite is true. The relevant authorities not only have not ended their persecution of human rights lawyers; on the contrary, they have intensified their efforts. After the roundup of human rights lawyers in the “709 Incident” in July 2015, four additional human rights lawyers, Jiang Tianyong (江天勇) Li Yuhan (李昱函), Yu Wensheng (余文生), and Chen Jiahong (陈家鸿) were detained, one after another, and even more human rights lawyers such as Liu Zhengqing (刘正清), Sui Muqing (隋牧青), Tan Yongpei (覃永沛), Wen Donghai (文东海), Chen Keyun (陈科云) and Liu Xiaoyuan (刘晓原) had their professional licenses to practice law revoked and canceled. Moreover, authorities throughout the country subjected human rights lawyers to innumerable administrative punishments and professional disciplinary actions, and filed court cases to investigate lawyers. Today, we once again commemorate the human rights disaster that took place in mainland China four years ago, and celebrate human rights lawyers who have made great sacrifices to defend freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

Four years ago, when the relevant authorities invoked “the law” to persecute and prosecute Chinese human rights lawyers, we human rights lawyers firmly believed that these unjust, illegal arrests and trials could not achieve a victory in the spheres of public opinion and morality. It was impossible to eliminate the ideals of the pursuit of freedom, dignity, and rule of law present in the hearts of the majority of the people. History is confirming our prediction with its most selfless attitude and standpoint. In the past four years, although the relevant authorities have exhausted all means to discredit human rights lawyers or force detained human rights lawyers to confess guilt, unexpectedly, those human rights lawyers are receiving more and more respect and attention from the people. The deeds of lawyers such as Gao Zhisheng (高智晟), Tang Jingling (唐荊陵), Tang Jitian (唐吉田), Jiang Tianyong (江天勇), Liu Wei (刘巍), and others are inspiring one group of human rights lawyers after the next to continue to bravely advance in pursuit of our ideals. Even though relevant authorities have expelled some human rights lawyers from the legal profession, more human rights lawyers are appearing everywhere; and although the judicial administration departments have forced many lawyers and law firms to demonstrate their acceptance of those rotten and insipid ideologies, in fact, more lawyers are recognizing that we are pursuing freedom, equity, and justice, and that these are our values.

Standing at the crossroads of history, we find that the foolish conduct that forces people to submit through oppression, power, and even violence not only fails to manifest the strength of those in power, but instead, amid the people’s resistance, magnifies their weakness and incompetence. As staunch defenders of universal values ​​such as freedom, democracy, order, and the rule of law, human rights lawyers will calmly face the suppression, persecution, detention and even prison sentences meted out by the authorities. We firmly believe that a just cause attracts much support, whereas an unjust cause finds little. Those dregs and remaining evildoers who wantonly trample on the rule of law and violate people’s human rights will eventually disappear from the stage of history.

As Chinese human rights lawyers, we are not only deeply troubled by the extreme deterioration of China’s human rights situation, but we are also worried about the totalitarian regime’s encroachment upon the world’s human rights cause. We abhor the autocratic regime’s violation of the core values that Hong Kong residents have held fast to, and we condemn the threats to the hard-won freedom and democracy achieved by the people of Taiwan. On the occasion of the “709 Incident”’s four-year anniversary, we strongly demand the immediate release of six lawyers, including Zhou Shifeng (周世锋), Wang Quanzhang, Yu Wensheng, Li Yuhan, Chen Jiahong and Gao Zhisheng, as well the release of many citizen rights defenders, including Qin Yongmin (秦永敏), Wu Gan (吴淦), Ge Jueping (戈觉平), Hu Shigen (胡石根), Lin Mingjie (林明洁), Chen Jianfang (陈建芳), Yin Xu’an (尹旭安) and Zhang Baocheng (张宝成). We further demand that Jiang Tianyong’s personal liberty be immediately restored, and that judicial authorities throughout the country immediately cease the suppression and persecution of human rights lawyers in their jurisdiction. At the same time, we are willing to work together with freedom-loving people all over the world to hold fast to the values ​​of democracy and the rule of law, and respect and defend human rights together. We are particularly willing to work together, hand in hand, with all Chinese people from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas who care about the progress of Chinese civilization in order to realize the great ideal in our hearts.

Lawyers of the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group

July 9, 2019

The China Human Rights Lawyers Group was founded on September 13, 2013. It is an open platform for cooperation. Since its founding, members of the group have worked together to protect human rights and promote the rule of law in China through issuing joint statements and representing human rights cases. Any Chinese lawyer who shares our human rights principles and is willing to defend the basic rights of citizens is welcome to join. We look forward to working with you.

Contacts:

Lawyer He Wei (何伟), Tel: 18523069266

Lawyer Lin Qilei (蔺其磊), Tel: 13366227598

Lawyer Shi Ping (施平), Tel: 15515694755

Lawyer Wang Qingpeng (王清鹏), Tel: +1 (425)7329584

Lawyer Xie Yang (谢阳), Tel: 18673190911

Translated from Chinese by Andrea Worden for China Change.

中国人权律师的声音

——关于“709事件”四周年的声明

2015年7月9日，中国发生了举世震惊的“709”大抓捕，随着王全璋律师“颠覆国家政权”案的秘密宣判，人们认为“709事件”似乎应当暂告一段落，但恰恰相反的是，有关当局对人权律师的迫害不仅没有停止，反而变本加厉。“709事件”发生后至今，江天勇、李昱函、余文生、陈家鸿等四位人权律师先后被捕，而更多的人权律师如刘正清、隋牧青、覃永沛、文东海、陈科云、刘晓原等则被吊销、注销律师执业证，而针对各地人权律师的行政处罚、行业处分、立案调查则更是举不胜举。今天，我们再一次纪念四年前发生在中国内地的那一场人权灾难，并颂扬那些为捍卫自由、民主、法治、人权而做出了巨大牺牲的人权律师。

四年前，当有关当局试图披着漂亮的外衣对中国人权律师进行迫害和审判的时候，人权律师们就坚信这些不公义的、不合法的抓捕和审判不可能取得舆论及道义上的胜利，更不可能消灭广大人国民心中追求自由、尊严和法治的理想，果不其然，历史正以它最无私的态度和立场印证着我们的预判。四年来，尽管有关当局穷尽一切手段抹黑人权律师或逼迫被捕的人权律师认罪，但出人意料的却是，那些人权律师正在受到人们越来越多的尊敬和关注，像高智晟、唐荆陵、唐吉田、江天勇、刘巍等人权律师的事迹正激励着一批又一批的人权律师前赴后继，勇往直前；尽管有关当局将一些人权律师逐出律师行业，但各地却催生出了更多的人权律师；尽管司法行政部门迫使许多律师及律所不得不表面接受那些腐朽枯燥的意识形态，但更多的律师却认识到了自由、公平和正义才是我们追寻的价值目标。

站在历史的十字路口，我们发现，那些试图通过压迫、强权甚至武力迫使人们屈服的愚蠢行为，不仅不能彰显当权者的强大，反而在人们的反抗中凸显出它的虚弱和无能。人权律师作为自由、民主、秩序、法治等普世价值的坚定捍卫者，我们将坦然面对执政当局的打压、迫害、囚禁甚至判刑，我们坚信，得道多助，失道寡助，肆意践踏法治和侵犯人权的沉渣余孽必定会退出历史的舞台。

作为中国人权律师的我们，不仅为中国人权状况的极端恶化而寝食难安，也为极权专制政权对世界人权事业的蚕食而忧心忡忡，我们痛恨专制政体对香港市民所坚守的核心价值的侵犯，也谴责那些对台湾人民来之不易的自由和民主成果的威胁。值此“709事件”四周年之际，我们强烈要求立即释放周世锋、王全璋、余文生、李昱函、陈家鸿、高智晟等六位律师和秦永敏、吴淦、戈觉平、胡石根、陈剑雄、林明洁、陈建芳、尹旭安、张宝成等众多的维权公民，立即恢复江天勇律师的人身自由，各地司法当局应立即停止对辖区内的人权律师的打压和迫害。与此同时，我们愿意与全世界爱好自由的人们一起坚守民主和法治的价值，一起尊重和捍卫人权，更愿意与香港、台湾以及海外一切关心中华民族文明进步的华人一起，携手实现我们心中的伟大理想。

中国人权律师团律师

2019年7月9日

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