Human legal rights law firm fleeing China is arrested in Laos | China

A Chinese rights attorney stripped of his licence for getting on sensitive instances has been arrested in Laos, and activists and family members are anxious he will be deported back to China, where by he could be jailed.

Lu Siwei was seized by Laotian police on Friday morning while boarding a coach for Thailand. He was on his way to Bangkok to catch a flight to the US to sign up for his spouse and daughter.

“I’m really worried for his security,” explained his wife, Zhang Chunxiao, in a textual content message. “If he’s despatched back to China, he’d definitely be imprisoned.”

Telephone figures mentioned for police in Lu’s house city of Chengdu rang unanswered. The Chinese foreign ministry did not straight away answer to a request for comment.

Lu had a historical past of having on delicate situations, and of navigating the troubles of defending persons who are deemed to be political targets by authorities.

Less than the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, China’s lawful legal rights motion has been seriously qualified. In 2015, hundreds of activists and legal rights lawyers have been arrested in what later turned recognised as the “709 crackdown” – named immediately after 9 July, the working day it was launched.

Lu, an insurance coverage legal professional by trade, defended some of those people arrested, which include legal rights law firm and Xi critic Yu Wensheng. Lu also defended folks arrested for creating liquor bottle labels commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Sq. professional-democracy protests.

In 2021, Lu was stripped of his legal licence just after representing a Hong Kong professional-democracy activist who experimented with to flee to Taiwan. Later on that year, Lu was barred from leaving China for a traveling to fellowship in the US and was told he had an exit ban put on him.

Lu has been divided for additional than a 12 months from his spouse and daughter, who each resettled in the US previous yr.

Bob Fu, the founder of Texas-based spiritual rights team ChinaAid, reported he was contacted by Lu’s loved ones two months in the past to aid in his escape from China. Lu experienced legitimate visas for the US and Laos, Fu explained, sending the AP pictures of Lu’s passport to verify his promises.

Lu was under surveillance, Fu and Lu’s spouse claimed, but was not remaining investigated or billed with a criminal offense. He stated his arrest on Laotian soil demonstrates how Beijing pursues critics overseas.

“This clearly reveals the very long arm of China beyond its borders to management and arrest people travelling overseas,” Fu stated. “It’s pretty chilling.”

Quantities stated for the Laotian foreign ministry rang unanswered, when the Laotian embassy in Beijing did not instantly answer to emailed requests for remark.

Lu was becoming accompanied by two activists working with ChinaAid when he was arrested.

Fu stated he experienced contacted the US embassy in Laos to foyer the Laotian governing administration for Lu’s release.