U.N knocks China over crackdown on lawyers

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner, has urged China to immediately free a group of detained human rights lawyers.

The United Nations Human Rights chief while expressing concern over Beijing’s crackdown on lawyers and government critics described the recent arrests of activists as a “very worrying pattern.”

He also raised three other concerning issues such as‎: the disappearances of five people connected to a Hong Kong publishing house; the arrest and televised confession of a Swedish legal-aid worker and an upcoming law that would impact the operation of non-government organizations.

Read also: Missing book sellers: China hits back at UK for interference

Continuing, Zeid said in a statement that he had talked to Chinese officials over the subject and felt they “too often reflexively confuse the legitimate role of lawyers and activists with threats to public order and security.”

Last July, Chinese authorities launched a crackdown on more than 200 lawyers and their families interrogating and detaining them.

Reports however say many of the arrested have been released but for 10 who face charges of “subversion of state power,” a crime carrying a sentence of 15 years in prison.

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