China strips license from second lawyer for HK activists
Sun Online Desk
7th February, 2021 01:26:40
A second Chinese lawyer who represented a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist was stripped of his license on Tuesday as Beijing attempts to crush opposition to its tighter control over the territory.
Ren Quanniu, who represented one of 12 Hong Kong activists who tried to flee to Taiwan, said he had his license revoked by the Henan Provincial Justice Department.
Ten of the 12 activists caught at sea in August were sentenced by a Shenzhen court in December to prison terms ranging from seven months to three years for crossing the border illegally and organizing the crossings. The two other activists are minors.
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In this photo provided to the Associated Press, Chinese lawyer Ren Quanniu, left, stands with his attorney Bao Longjun outside the Henan provincial Justice Department s office in Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan Province on Jan. 29. (AP Photo)
TAIPEI A second Chinese lawyer who represented a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist was stripped of his license on Tuesday as Beijing attempts to crush opposition to its tighter control over the territory.
Ren Quanniu, who represented one of 12 Hong Kong activists who tried to flee to Taiwan, said he had his license revoked by the Henan Provincial Justice Department.
Ten of the 12 activists caught at sea in August were sentenced by a Shenzhen court in December to prison terms ranging from seven months to three years for crossing the border illegally and organizing the crossings. The two other activists are minors.
A second Chinese lawyer who represented a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist has been stripped of his licence to practice, in a move that drew alarm from rights groups and condemnation from the United States.
Ren Quanniu, who represented one of 12 Hong Kong activists who allegedly tried to flee by boat to Taiwan, said on Tuesday that he had had his licence revoked by the Henan Provincial Justice Department.
Lu Siwei, who worked alongside Ren on the case, had his licence taken away last month.
Ren and Lu said that representing the members of the so-called “Hong Kong 12” was the trigger that stripped them of the right to practise.