Woman among 12 Hongkongers in sea arrest ‘denied right to meet lawyer’, as authorities on both sides of border urged to show transparency
- Mainland lawyer Lu Siwei tells the Post he met officers at Shenzhen detention centre where group is held, but was not allowed to meet suspect
- Lu says he was told the case for his client could be more serious and involve organising others to illegally cross the border
A woman who was among 12 Hongkongers arrested at sea and detained in Shenzhen was denied her right to meet a legal representative, according to her lawyer who has urged local and mainland Chinese authorities to discuss the matter and show transparency.
China’s coastguard announced on August 26 that they had stopped 12 activists from Hong Kong in Chinese waters, with the group believed to be fleeing to Taiwan. The suspects were remanded in Yantian district in Shenzhen, and little was known about their latest situation.
Mainland lawyer Lu Siwei told the Post on Sunday that he went to the detention centre on Friday to meet the woman, whose older brother had contacted him for help.
“But officers there said they could not confirm the identity of the brother, so I was not able to meet her,” he added. “I made a complaint to the authorities, and waited for three hours, but still I had to leave.”
Lu said officers had suggested that the brother’s identity could be confirmed by a notary, but there was no such rule under China’s Criminal Procedure Law.
“Under the law, if lawyers wanted to meet certain arrestees, three documents are required: a client’s letter of authorisation, a letter from the lawyer’s firm, and the lawyer’s [professional qualification] card,” he said.
Lu said a notary was sometimes called for in civil cases, if evidence presented in mainland courts involved legal documents from another jurisdiction, such as Hong Kong. Documents would be accepted as evidence if certified by notaries, according to him.