Police detain Qu Zhenhong, niece representing rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, attorney says

The lawyer and niece of detained rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang has been placed under criminal detention herself, a veteran lawyer said yesterday.

The detention of Qu Zhenhong and two other associates close to Pu has stoked fears that police are collecting further evidence to prosecute the prominent lawyer well known for his defence of sensitive cases.

The lawyer, Zhang Sizhi, said he did not know the reason for the detention. It is also unclear when Qu was taken into custody, although several activists have posted messages on Twitter suggesting she was detained on Tuesday for "illegally obtaining personal information".

Police this week detained a Chinese employee of Japan's Nihon Keizai financial newspaper, and a Beijing-based NGO worker and former journalist, both of whom are close to Pu.

Pu, 49, who took part in the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests in 1989, was detained last week for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" after attending a May 3 event marking the 25th anniversary of the crackdown.