SW News: Over 60 human rights organizations, bar associations, academics, and exiled Chinese human rights campaigners have called for international attention to the Chinese government's recent upsurge in repression of human rights lawyers. In a joint statement, they called on the international community to urge the Chinese government to put an end to its crackdown on human rights lawyers and defenders and immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained.

UN experts have said that the profession of human rights lawyer has been effectively criminalized in China. This new wave of repression has been known as the ‘709 crackdown 2.0'. The authorities make regular use of national security law, in particular, ‘subversion of State power’ or ‘inciting subversion’ that carries lengthy prison sentences.

The rights groups have also shared their concern as the Hong Kong authorities are following a similar path since the imposition of the National Security Law. Prominent lawyers Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho, and Margaret Ng are awaiting trial on a range of national security crimes, for their rights work. UN experts have recently called for Chow Hang-tung's release. They accused the Chinese government’s increasing use of exit bans to impede human rights lawyers and activists from leaving the country. The rights group also raised alarm at the severe harassment against released human rights lawyers and their relatives, including children.

Reports reveal that at least 30 human rights lawyers have seen their practicing licence suspended or revoked by the authorities since 2017. In prison and pre-trial custody, human rights attorneys are routinely subjected to abuse, including physical, psychological, and other forms of torture. Despite serious health difficulties, they are frequently refused access to medical care and family contact.

The government imposes government-appointed attorneys whose identities are kept secret or who refuse to speak to family members to prevent family-appointed attorneys from seeing court records and advocating for victims. During sham closed-door trials, detained lawyers are frequently found guilty, and the families are never informed or the court's decisions are not made public for an extended length of time.

The rights group has also sought to amend laws and regulations, including national security legislation, to bring them into full compliance with international human rights standards and meaningfully cooperate with the United Nations human rights bodies to that end.