Letter to China’s Justice Minister regarding the arrest and detention of lawyer Pu Zhiqiang

SUMMARY

In a letter to China’s Minister of Justice, the International Human Rights Committee and the Vance Center for International Justice expressed grave concern about the arrest and detention of lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, and urged the government of the People’s Republic of China to immediately release him from detention and drop all charges against him. Mr. Pu is a prominent weiquan (rights defense) lawyer who has defended prominent rights activists and dissidents in court and in the media. The letter notes the Chinese government has detained other lawyers and activists, including others associated with Mr. Pu: “The rights of lawyers in China to practice their profession and to carry out their professional duties to clients free of government interference are protected by both Chinese law and international norms. The detention and arrest of Mr. Pu, the conditions of his detention, and the failure of the government to provide him with prompt access to counsel and due process violate basic principles of the Rule of Law as well as provisions of China’s domestic law.”