Chinese tycoon Ren Zhiqiang goes missing after criticising Beijing’s response to coronavirus outbreak
South China Morning Post, March 15, 2020
“722” NGO长沙富能案程渊、刘永泽、吴葛健雄3人今同时解除6位律师的代理委托 (After being denied access to clients for nearly 8 months, lawyers for three detained members of public interest NGO Changsha Funengare are dismissed)
Weiquanwang, March 16, 2020
HRIC Note: On March 16, without providing any written notifications, Changsha state security authorities and various Bureau of Justice authorities informed the lawyers representing the three detained members of the public interest NGO Changsha Funeng that they have been dismissed by their clients. The absence of formal written notices raises serious concerns about whether the detainees—Cheng Yuan, Liu Yongze, Wu GeJianxiong—have in fact authorized the dismissal. (One of the dismissed lawyers is Wu’s father, Wu Youshui, who is representing his son.)
In nearly eight months of detention since they were first taken into custody on July 22, 2019, the “Changsha Three” have not been granted access to their lawyers. In a de facto state of enforced disappearance, they face risks of being forced to make confessions under torture.
The police authorities have been extending the period of investigation multiple times, without bringing formal charges. Today’s “dismissal” may signal an impending secret trial in which the defendants are forced to be represented by government appointed lawyers.
中国人权注: 长沙公益仨（程渊、刘永泽、吴葛剑雄）的代理律师今日都接到当局的非正式通知，告知他们被解除代理，连吴葛剑雄的父亲吴有水律师也被通知已被其儿子解除委托。长沙公益仨在2019年7月22日被长沙国安带走后，一直被禁止会见律师，处于被强迫失踪的状态，面临被刑讯逼供的风险。该案在侦查期满后不断被延期，目前当局强迫解除当事人委托的律师，意在指定官派律师进行秘密审判。
余文生“煽颠案”司法延宕 其妻上书京官要求律师探访权 (Wife of lawyer Yu Wensheng appeals to Beijing officials for husband’s right to access to lawyers)
Voice of America, March 16, 2020
