Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China ...

<strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China (2009)April 26, 2010April 2010, it appeared that one lawyer had been stripped of his license while seven stillhad not had their licenses renewed. 94 In 2008, several of these lawyers were given similarthreats, but in the end only one lawyer, Teng Biao ( ), actually had his licenserevoked. 95彪 滕During 2009, several human rights lawyers also had their licenses to practice temporarilysuspended. In August, Guangzhou human rights lawyer Liu Shihui ( ) was asked toresign by the law firm he worked for, which was under pressure from the GuangzhouBureau of Justice to fire him. In September, Liu was notified by the Guangzhou Bureauof Justice that his license had been suspended for nine months for allegedly failing tocomply with some minor procedural requirements in his handling of several cases. Liufiled an administrative litigation lawsuit against the Bureau on the grounds that thepunishment “had no factual nor legal basis” and the case was heard by a court on January25, 2010. 96 The court has yet to issue a decision. It is believed that Liu was punished fortaking on “sensitive cases,” especially for representing imprisoned rights activist GuoFeixiong (刘 辉 士郭Law firms that employ human rights lawyers can also be targeted for retaliation by thegovernment. For example, on February 17, Beijing's Yitong Law Firm, 97 known fortaking on cutting-edge rights cases, was informed by the Haidian District branch of theBeijing Bureau of Justice that the firm would be forced to close for six months for “reorganization.”Lawyers at the firm believed that the closure was in retaliation for theadvocacy of some of the firm’s lawyers for direct elections of the leadership of thegovernment-controlled Beijing Lawyers Association in 2008. Even though this six-monthperiod has long since passed, at the time of writing the firm still had not been permitted tore-open. 98Finally, 2009 was also marked by a series of assaults directed at lawyers. BetweenFebruary and May, Beijing lawyers Li Baiguang ( Cheng Hai ( Zhang Kai( and Li Chunfu ( as well as Guangxi lawyer Yang Zaixin ( wereassaulted in separate incidents by government officials or unidentified individualsbelieved to be closely related to local authorities. In the case of Zhang Kai and Li Chunfu,they were taken in for interrogation by policemen from the PSB in Chongqing whilevisiting their clients, the family of an elderly Falun Gong practitioner who had died in anRTL camp. Zhang and Li were beaten, kicked, locked in an iron cage and had their handscuffed in painful positions during the questioning. 99杨 李 张 程 李). 雄 飞凯 ),), 富 春), 新 再), 光 柏海 ),262. The provision of legal assistance to detained human rights defendersWhile the government retaliated against lawyers who defended sensitive clients in 2009,CHRD also documented cases in which officials sought to deny those clients their rightsto representation in the first place. Article 33 of the revised Lawyers Law, which cameinto effect on June 1, 2008, provides that a lawyer has the right to meet with his or herclient under criminal investigation upon showing the “three certificates:” a lawyer’slicense, a certificate from their law firm, and a document granting them power of attorney,