Wife of Chinese human rights lawyer stopped from delivering court petition
- About 30 police officers block Li Wenzu at Beijing court building as she tries to file petition over treatment of her husband
- Wang Quanzhang was tried for subversion of state power in a closed hearing in Tianjin on Wednesday
Police on Friday prevented the wife of prominent Chinese rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang from petitioning the Supreme People’s Court against the treatment of her husband, who was put on trial earlier for allegedly “subverting state power”.
About 30 police officers stopped Li Wenzu and about a dozen supporters from entering the petition office of the court building in south Beijing.
Li’s petition accuses the court handling her husband’s case of a severe violation of judicial regulations.
Wang was tried for subversion of state power in a closed hearing in Tianjin on Wednesday after being held without access to his lawyers or family for more than three years. The court has yet to announce a verdict.
“This is so laughable,” Li said as she was jostled by a circle of police. “You see all these signs on the streets proclaiming ‘rule of law’ … how ironic.
“Under these circumstances they wouldn’t let us in … course they wouldn’t let us in because we have never been able to enter in our last 30 attempts,” Li told journalists, adding that she would make another attempt next week.