Published ‘confessions’ stoke fair trial fears for lawyers held in Chinese crackdown
Publication of admissions from detainees swept up in an unprecedented mainland crackdown raises worries about their hopes for a fair trial
Fears intensified on Sunday that mainland Chinese lawyers and activists swept up in a crackdown will not get a fair trial after state media said that the head of one law firm had confessed and others in custody had “expressed remorse”.
At least 233 mainland human rights lawyers and advocates had been taken away, summoned or detained by police in the unprecedented crackdown, according to the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group. Fourteen are still in custody and six are missing.
More than 40 Hong Kong lawyers launched a global petition on Sunday, saying that any detainees accused of unlawful conduct should be tried in a “fair and open judicial process”.
READ MORE: Hong Kong lawyers launch global petition against Beijing's human rights arrests
“It would be unfortunate and regrettable if the conduct of the lawyers … can be interpreted or characterised as criminal in nature,” the Hong Kong lawyers said in a statement. “This will have a chilling effect on lawyers’ proper discharge of their duties.”
The call came as People’s Daily said Beijing Fengrui law firm director Zhou Shifeng had confessed in custody that his firm had been involved in “criminal activities”.
China Central Television described Zhou and his lawyers as a “criminal gang” that had “manipulated, organised and hyped up cases”.