(New York) – The formal arrest of Chinese lawyer Tang Jingling (唐荆陵) on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power” is an alarming new development in the latest wave of suppression of human rights lawyers in China, the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers said today. Tang, a Guangzhou lawyer known for representing disadvantaged clients in politically sensitive cases, was among the many lawyers and activists who were rounded up by the authorities in May during the lead up to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown of June 4, 1989. An advocate for non-violent civil disobedience, Tang has been repeatedly targeted by the authorities over the years as a consequence of his activism.
(New York) – The formal arrest of Chinese lawyer Tang Jingling (唐荆陵) on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power” is an alarming new development in the latest wave of suppression of human rights lawyers in China, the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers said today. Tang, a Guangzhou lawyer known for representing disadvantaged clients in politically sensitive cases, was among the many lawyers and activists who were rounded up by the authorities in May during the lead up to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown of June 4, 1989. An advocate for non-violent civil disobedience, Tang has been repeatedly targeted by the authorities over the years as a consequence of his activism.
Tang was initially detained on May 16 on suspicion of “creating a disturbance,” at which time the police reportedly confiscated a computer and three mobile phones from his home. According to sources close to Tang, he has been kicked and beaten during his detention. In a microblog post, Tang’s wife Wang Yanfang said that he was formally arrested on June 21 for the different, much more severe charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” The government has used this charge in the past to target human rights activists, including the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who is currently serving an eleven-year prison sentence. Wang Qingying and Yuan Xinting, two other activists who have been involved in Tang’s recent efforts, were also formally arrested on the same charge.
“The arrest of Tang Jingling on subversion charges raises serious concerns for the rights of lawyers in China,” said Robert Hornick, Chair of the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers. “The recent targeting of rights defense lawyers threatens the integrity of the legal profession and undermines the principle of the rule of law.” The Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers calls on the Chinese authorities to drop the subversion charges that have been made against Tang and his colleagues and to release them immediately.
A history of suppression
Prior to losing his license to practice law in 2006, Tang was a lawyer at the Huazhijie Law Firm in Guangzhou. His clients included villagers combating corruption, children who had suffered brain damage as a result of vaccinations, relatives of those killed by counterfeit medicines, and uncompensated victims of land grabs, as well as other rights advocates, including fellow lawyer Guo Feixiong (郭飞雄). Tang has since become a leading proponent and educator on the topic of non-violent civil disobedience in China.
On February 2, 2006, Tang was working with Guo on an election recall case in Taishi in Guangdong province. As he was leaving Guo’s residence, Tang was surrounded and physically attacked by a group of unidentified men. Although he escaped the attack and went to the local police station to report the crime, the police refused to process his complaint. Several weeks later, in April of 2006, Tang lost his ability to practice law when his firm, under pressure from the authorities, refused to sponsor his annual license renewal.
Afterwards, Tang continued to be harassed by the authorities. On November 27, 2009, while lecturing on the topic of Internet censorship and Twitter at the Guangzhou College of Vocational Technology, a campus security officer stopped the lecture, arrested Tang, and took him to the local police station for interrogation. He was later released after three hours of questioning. On September 18, 2010, Tang was again seized by local police and warned against participating in anticipated anti-Japan protests, and on November 24, 2010, he was detained for four hours at a security checkpoint before being released.
On September 5, 2012, while investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of labor rights activist Li Wangyang, Tang was detained by the authorities for over five days, during which time he was deprived of sleep. He was eventually released, but his mobile phone, laptop computer, and camera were destroyed by the Guangzhou municipal police. Later that year, during the lead-up to the 18th Chinese Communist Party Congress in November 2012, Tang was warned by police not to leave Guangzhou, receive guests, or grant interviews to journalists.
On May 29, 2013, in anticipation of the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, Tang was warned by police not to meet with friends around the time of the anniversary and was taken away from his house to “go travel.” In early June 2013, Tang was again detained on suspicion of “disturbing public order” and questioned for six hours by police after attempting to visit detained activist Liu Ping in Jiangxi province.
The Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers (CSCL) is a group of independent lawyers from outside China whose mission is to support lawyers in their quest to uphold the rule of law in China. The CSCL, which is housed at the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School in New York City, seeks to strengthen the role of lawyers and to promote their independence.
For further inquiries, please contact the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers at csclawyers@gmail.com or (212) 636-6862. Follow the Committee on Twitter at @CSCLawyers and on Facebook at facebook.com/CommitteeToSupportChineseLawyers.