Revocation of Chinese human rights lawyer’s licence to practise

Who we wrote to

The government of the People’s Republic of China.

We co-signed the letter with 18 organisations and individuals.

What’s the issue

Li Jinxing, a Chinese human rights lawyer specialising in criminal cases, had his licence to practise revoked by the Chinese authorities on 6 August after he had published posts on social media platform Weibo.

His posts were allegedly inappropriate, slandering the Justice Bureau and provoking discontentment against the Party.

This follows other action taken against Li Jinxing by the Chinese authorities. In 2013, he was expelled from the court by the judge.

After allegedly speaking out of turn while defending human rights defender Guo Feixiong in 2014, he was penalised to one year of suspension in 2016.

In 2018, he took on the politically sensitive case of former chairman of Anbang Insurance Group Wu Xiaohui but was repeatedly refused his right to meet with his client.

What we asked for

We asked the Chinese government to:

• stop using Lawyers Law of the People’s Republic of China , the Administrative Measures for the Practice of Law by Lawyers and the Administrative Measures for Law Firms to assert administrative pressure on lawyers as a means of deterring lawyers from acting for clients who are being prosecuted by the Chinese government
• revoke administrative measures taken against lawyers that have been issued and improperly interfere with lawyers’ legitimate professional functions
• guarantee that lawyers will not experience threats and obstruction from the state while carrying out their professional duties, and that their representations on behalf of clients not be used against them for prosecution or administrative penalty
• immediately stop all forms of harassment, threats and assaults on human rights lawyers and their law firms

Timeline

2013 – Li was expelled from the court by the judge

December 2016 – Li was penalised to one year of suspension after allegedly speaking out of turn while defending human rights defender Guo Feixiong in 2014

2018 – Li took on the politically sensitive case of former chair of Anbang Insurance Group Wu Xiaohui but was repeatedly refused his right to meet with his client

July 2019 – Li received a notice from the Shandong Provincial Department of Justice about the administrative penalty of revocation of his licence due to his posts on social media platform Weibo

August 2019 – Li’s hearing took place at the Shandong Lawyers Association and the decision was passed down that his practice certificate be officially revoked