關於舉辦第二屆“中國人權律師節”活動的通告
(English followed)

 
中國人權律師群體，為捍衛公民自由和人權，為推動中國走向法治和民主，付出了艱苦的努力。作為中國律師群體的優秀代表，人權律師從維權運動之初開始，就一直受到中國政府的各種嚴厲打壓：吊銷律師證、跟蹤、威脅、公開汙名化、綁架、秘密失蹤、勞教、長期監禁和酷刑，無日無之。

2017年7月9日，在中共殘酷鎮壓人權律師的“709事件”兩周年之際，我們十四家人權機構在華盛頓舉辦了“首屆中國人權律師節”，通過演講、圖片展、紀錄片、網路連線、現場直播、遊行示威等方式，向世界展示中中國人權律師的勇氣和風采；關注他們的困境和危難；並譴責中國當局迫害律師的暴行。

一年過去了，周世鋒、江天勇、唐荊陵、夏霖等律師仍在獄中；余文生、李昱函等律師被捕入獄；王全璋仍然失蹤，毫無消息已經接近三年；高智晟律師再次失蹤，至今已經11個月；超過20名人權律師已經被吊銷或者面臨被吊銷律師證。令人悲痛的是，兩位優秀的人權律師李蘇濱、李柏光永遠地離開了我們。迫害仍在繼續，人權勇士們仍在堅守和抗爭。我們決定舉辦第二屆“中國人權律師節”，並將設立、評選和頒發“709人權律師獎”。

7月9日象徵著中國人權律師走過的光榮的荊棘路。每年的7月9日，我們，來自世界各地包括中國的人權捍衛者和關注中國自由民主的人們，將約定以各種方式舉辦“中國人權律師節”，在黑暗中守望相助；我們堅信，在未來的某個7月9日，我們將在一個憲政法治、自由民主的中國，慶祝這個不僅僅屬於人權律師、也將屬於全體中國律師的節日。

Announcement Regarding
the Annual ‘China Human Rights Lawyers Day’ Event

 
China’s community of human rights lawyers have made enormous sacrifices to defend the rights and freedoms of citizens and promote China’s progress toward the rule-of-law and democracy. As representatives of China’s wider community of lawyers, human rights lawyers have, since the beginning of the rights defense movement in early 2000s, been the constant target of severe government repression. This has included, without letup, cancellation of legal licenses, being stalked, being threatened, being publicly defamed, being kidnapped, being secretly disappeared, and being subject to forced labor, long-term incarceration, or torture.

On July 9, 2017, marking the second anniversary of the Communist Party’s most brutal persecution of human rights lawyers with the ‘709 incident,’ 14 human rights organizations held an ‘Inaugural China Human Rights Lawyers’ Day’ in Washington, D.C. Through speeches, a photographic exhibition, a documentary, a march, and a live broadcast online, we showed to the world the bearing and courage of China’s rights defense lawyers, and brought their plight and peril to the attention to the wider world.

A year has passed, and Zhou Shifeng (周世鋒), Jiang Tianyong (江天勇), Tang Jingling (唐荊陵), Xia Lin (夏霖), and others are still imprisoned. Yu Wensheng (余文生) and Li Yuhan (李昱函), among others, have been newly arrested and jailed. Wang Quanzhang (王全璋) remains disappeared, with no news of his whereabouts or condition for three years now. Gao Zhisheng (高智晟) has once again been disappeared, now for 11 months. Over 20 lawyers have had their licenses cancelled or face disbarment. Tragically, two outstanding rights defense lawyers, Li Subin (李蘇濱) and Li Baiguang (李柏光), have left us forever.

The persecution continues, and human rights defenders continue to hold their ground and resist. This year we hold in New York a second ‘China Human Rights Lawyers’ Day,’ and also to establish a ‘709 Rights Defense Lawyer Award.’ The date of July 9 now symbolizes the glorious and thorny road that China’s human rights lawyers walk. Every July 9, we — coming from around the world, including Chinese rights defenders and those who care deeply about the struggle for a free and democratic China — will mark ‘China Human Rights Lawyers’ Day’ and support one other through this dark time.

We firmly believe that one day in the future we will be marking the occasion of July 9 in a free China with the rule of law.

 
 
Last updated: 2018-6-28, 1:34 AM