我們是一群香港律師。對於近日中國內地多名維權律師遭到全國性的大舉搜捕、拘留、被失踪，我們深表關注。
據報導，2015年7月10日至14日晚上，在北京及中國大陸18個省分，已有約102名律師及36名維權人士被警方或其代理拘拿、秘密帶走及扣留。
7月10日清晨，著名維權律師王宇及她的丈夫包龍軍及兒子被帶走，其住宅被身分不明、信有三、四十之眾的人士破門闖入。
王宇所屬的北京鋒銳律師事務所遭破門入屋大肆搜掠，拿去所有電腦和文件，嚴重侵犯律師及委托人的權利和法律專業保密權。事務所主任周世鋒、兩名律師王全璋與黃力群，及兩名行政助理均被拘留。從香港《有線電視》7月13日新聞片段，可見鋒銳事務所災後一片狼藉﹕http://cablenews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_video/index.php?news_id=462052
另外兩位著名維權律師李和平、李金星在北京的事務所分別被抄查。
截止7月14日晚上，一百多名先後被警方帶走、傳喚、約談的律師之中，大約91人已獲釋，其中有人遭到威嚇其父母子女隨時可能被捕。廣州的隋牧青、湖南的謝陽被控煽動顛覆罪。對於被帶走而至今下落不明者，我們繼續感到深切關注。
我們理解當局可能指稱上述一些律師有非法行為。然而，若有任何爭議，則該等指控所據的事實及法理，必須經由公平、公正、公開的司法程序審訊和裁斷。我們強調，不論在世界任何地區執業，律師都有責任無畏無懼，按照法律，維護委託人的權益。尤為重要的是，在任何成熟健全的文明法律制度之下，律師必須能夠代表委託人提出其訴因，即使該訴因能令當權者不悅。至於委託人該等訴因是否成立，應藉公平、公開、具公信力的法律制度審判，而非以粗暴無理的手法對付只是履行其專業職責的律師。若然律師無畏無懼為其委託人辯護的行為 (可能該委託人與國家當局相左)，輕易被視為或識別為犯罪行為，則至為不幸，令人遺憾。此舉必然令有志盡責履行天職的律師變得處處忌憚，噤若寒蟬。
惟有在律師執行專業職責的權利為義務得到尊重的基礎上，文明社會所奉行的法治方能真正在中國大陸落地生根。
我們譴責任何迫害、威嚇律師同業的行為。我們並呼籲中國政府
(1)尊重憲法賦予被拘留的律師及其委託人的權利；
(2)通知家屬被拘留人士的下落，及准許他們的代表律師即時探望；
(3)停止非法或無理針對律師及其事務所的行為；及
(4)確保秉行公義有目共睹，以公平、公正、公開、透明的司法程序處理任何被指控的律師及有關人士。
聯署人：
前香港大律師公會主席
李柱銘資深大律師 (1980 – 1983)
張健利資深大律師 (1985 – 1988)
梁冰濂資深大律師 (1992 – 1994)
黃福鑫資深大律師 (1994 – 1995)
李志喜資深大律師 (1995 – 1997)
余若薇資深大律師 (1997 – 1999)
湯家驊資深大律師 (1999 – 2001)
梁家傑資深大律師 (2001 – 2003)
陳景生資深大律師 (2003 – 2005)
戴啟思資深大律師 (2005 – 2007)
高浩文資深大律師 (2009 – 2011)
林孟達資深大律師 (2011 – 2013)
石永泰資深大律師 (2013 – 2015)
法律界功能組別立法會議員
李柱銘資深大律師* (1985 – 1991)
吳靄儀大律師 (1995 – 2012)
郭榮鏗大律師 (2012 至今)
選委會法律界全體30位現任委員
陳景生資深大律師*查鍚我大律師周汝嘉律師
鄭瑞泰律師張達明律師張耀良大律師
關尚義律師 戴啟思資深大律師* 夏偉志資深大律師
何俊麒律師 何翹楚律師 許天福律師
郭榮鏗大律師o 林健文律師 李偉業律師
廖成利律師 麥業成大律師 文浩正律師
潘淑瑛大律師 潘熙資深大律師 石書銘大律師
冼秉浩律師 譚俊傑大律師 鄧偉棕律師
韋智達律師黃國桐律師黃瑞紅大律師
楊岳橋大律師 葉海琅大律師 阮陳淑怡律師
* 亦是前大律師公會主席
o 亦是現任立法會議員
Signature Campaign for Human Rights Lawyers in Mainland China
We are a group of lawyers in Hong Kong who are deeply concerned with the massive nation-wide arrest, detention and disappearance of human rights lawyers in Mainland China.
According to reports, from 10 July 2015 and up till the evening of 14 July 2015, about 102 lawyers, together with 36 human rights activists, from 18 provinces and Beijing have been apprehended, or secretly taken away, or detained by the police and/or their agents.
A well-known human rights lawyer Wang Yue (王宇) and her husband Pao Longjun (包龍軍) and their son were taken away in the early hours of 10 July and their home was broken into by unidentified persons, believed to be around 30 to 40 in number.
Madam Wang Yue’s Beijing Fengrui Law Firm (鋒銳律師事務所) was broken into and ransacked. The computers and files were all taken away. This is a serious violation of the rights of their clients and legal professional privilege. The head of Fengrui Law Firm Zhou Shifeng (周世鋒), the other lawyers of the same firm Wang Quanzhang (王全璋), Wang Lichuan (黃力群) and two legal executives, have all been detained. Enclosed is a link from Hong Kong Cable News of 13 July 2015 of the raid.
http://cablenews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_video/index.php?news_id=462052
Two other Beijing law firms to which two prominent human rights lawyers Li Heping (李和平) and Li Jinxing (李金星) are attached have also been raided.
Of the hundred odd lawyers taken away or summoned by the police for interrogation, about 91 have been released as at the late hours on 14 July 2015, some have been threatened also to have their children and parents arrested. Amongst those detained, Mr. Shui Muqing (隋牧青), from Guangzhou, and Xie Yang (謝陽) from Hunan, have been charged with inciting subversion of state sovereignty. We continue to feel deeply concerned about those whose whereabouts remain unknown.
We understand allegations of unlawful conduct may be made against some of the above lawyers. The factual and legal validity of such charges will, if they are disputed, have to be tried in a fair and open judicial process. However, lawyers, wherever they practise, are duty bound to defend the interests of their clients without fear and according to the law. In particular, in any properly developed and civilized legal system, it is essential that lawyers should be able to take on causes of clients that are unwelcome to the powers that be. Whether the causes of those clients are well founded should be tested by a fair, open and credible legal process, and not by arbitrary and brutal targeting of the lawyers who are simply performing their duties. It would be unfortunate and regrettable if the conduct of lawyers who fearlessly represent the causes of their clients (who may be at odds with the State) can be readily interpreted or characterized as criminal in nature. This will have an obvious chilling effect on lawyers’ proper discharge of their duties.
Only when lawyers’ professional duty and rights are respected can the rule of law as understood in the civilized world take root in Mainland China.
We denounce intimidating harassment against fellow lawyers. And we call upon the Mainland Chinese Government:
(1) To respect the constitutional rights of all the detained lawyers and their clients
(2) To inform their families of their whereabouts, and permit immediate access to their legal representatives.
(3) To stop any unlawful or arbitrary conduct against the lawyers’ offices or the lawyers and others related to them.
(4) To ensure that justice is seen to be done, and any charges against the lawyers and persons related to them are properly tried by a judicial process that is open, fair and transparent.
Signed:
(A) Former Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association
Martin Lee SC (1980 – 1983)
Denis Chang SC (1985 – 1988)
Jacqueline Leong SC (1992 – 1994)
Ronny Wong SC (1994 – 1995)
Gladys Li SC (1995 – 1997)
Audrey Eu SC (1997 – 1999)
Ronny Tong SC (1999 – 2001)
Alan Leong SC (2001 – 2003)
Edward Chan SC (2003 – 2005)
Philip Dykes SC (2005 – 2007)
Russell Coleman SC (2009 – 2011)
Kumar Ramanathan SC (2011 – 2013)
Paul Shieh SC (2013 – 2015)
(B) Legislator of the Legal Functional Constituency
Martin Lee SC* (1985 – 1991)
Margaret Ng (1995 to 2012)
Dennis Kwok (2012 to present)
(C) All current 30 members of the Legal Subsector of the Election Committee for the Chief Executive 2011-2016
Edward Chan SC* Stephen Char Jasmine Chau
Cheng Shui Tai Eric Cheung Cheung Yiu Leung
John Clancey Philip Dykes SC* Graham Harris SC
Fred Ho Sidney Ho David Hui
Dennis Kwoko Lam Kin Man Philip Li
Bruce Liu Andrew Mak Jonathan Man
Debora Poon Hectar Pun SC Randy Shek
Sin Ping Ho Jeffrey Tam Herman Tang
Michael Vidler Daniel Wong Linda Wong
Alvin Yeung Richard Yip Helena Yuen
* Also former Chairman of the Bar
o Also Legislator
