In commemoration of the human rights lawyers suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party in the 709 Incident, the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Award was established this year and presented to Chinese lawyers Lu Siwei, who is still imprisoned, and Li Guobei, who continues to face oppression, in recognition of their significant contributions to promoting the construction of “defending human rights and advancing the rule of law.”
The ninth Human Rights Lawyers Day took place on July 9th at the University of Tokyo, as reported by the information on the website of the Alliance for China Aid. Lu Siwei and Li Guobei were honored with the “Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Award” this year.
Lu Siwei has been a long-time advocate for sensitive human rights cases, fearlessly taking on cases considered “off-limits” by the Chinese authorities, including the “Hong Kong 12 Incident” and the case of four mourners in Chengdu commemorating the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. He publicly challenges torture, illegal detention, and various forms of abuse, always prioritizing conscience over personal safety.
Due to his actions, Lu Siwei has been under constant surveillance and harassment by the authorities. In 2023, he was arrested in Laos while attempting to reunite with his family and charged with “illegal border crossing.” Although Lu Siwei is set to be released in August this year, this does not mean the threats he faces will come to an end.
The organizers stated that this year’s Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Award was given to Lu Siwei to honor his significant contributions in defending human rights, the rule of law, and societal conscience in China. They also called for the immediate unconditional release of Lu Siwei by the Chinese authorities and ensuring his safe reunion with his family.
Another awardee, lawyer Li Guobei, has faced risks and pressure since speaking out for lawyers detained and tortured in Jiansanjiang, Heilongjiang, since 2014. In the 2014 case of persecuted Christians in Cao County, she bravely defended the persecuted believers and stood up for religious freedom. In the 2015 large-scale crackdown on rights-defense lawyers known as the “709 Incident,” she provided legal assistance to her colleagues.
In recent years, Li Guobei has continued to defend women’s rights activists such as Li Qiaochu and the director of the documentary “Blank Paper Movement,” Chen Pinlin, exposing the deprivation of sleep and fresh air experienced by Chen Pinlin in detention and condemning the court’s illegal obstruction of lawyers’ rights. Additionally, she revealed the humiliation and abuse suffered by her client, lawyer Xie Yang, during the judicial process.
During the 709 Incident, she was prohibited from leaving the country on the grounds of “endangering national security.” This year, her law firm, Biyi Law Firm, faced unreasonable delays in their annual inspection, but she remains steadfast in speaking out publicly.
The organizers believe that Li Guobei represents numerous courageous female human rights lawyers who, with wisdom, fearlessness, and resilience, guard the fragile yet precious light of the rule of law within the high walls and hostile courtrooms.
The 709 Mass Arrests Tenth Anniversary Commemorative Event and the ninth Human Rights Lawyers Day were jointly organized by ChinaAid, China Change, Humanitarian China, Human Rights in China, the Taiwan Judicial Reform Foundation, the Chinese Democracy Academy, the Taiwan Support Network for Chinese Human Rights Lawyers, and the Asian Lawyers Network in Japan.
Starting from July 9, 2015, the Chinese public security authorities, in as many as 23 provinces, carried out large-scale arrests, summons, criminal detentions, disappearances, interrogations of hundreds of lawyers, civil rights activists, petitioners, and their relatives. Some individuals were briefly missing, and this incident became known as the 709 Incident. After consultations among Chinese human rights lawyers, July 9th was officially designated as the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Day.
Previous awardees include: Gao Zhisheng and Wang Quanzhang in 2018; Tang Jingling in 2019; Xu Zhiyong in 2020; Chang Weiping and Ding Jiaxi in 2021; Xie Yang and Qin Yongpei in 2022; Zou Xingtong (Hong Kong), Yu Wensheng, and Zhou Shifeng in 2023; Zhang Zhan and Li Yuhang in 2024. To date, a total of 15 human rights lawyers have been honored with this award.