US-CHINA/RIGHTS China says will deal with issue of human rights lawyer in line with the law

Record ID: 135075

  • Title: US-CHINA/RIGHTS China says will deal with issue of human rights lawyer in line with the law
  • Date: 15th October 2015
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (OCTOBER 15, 2015) (REUTERS) FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN, HUA CHUNYING, WALKING IN FOR REGULAR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN, HUA CHUNYING, SAYING: "I think the relevant U.S. officials should understand that the people you mentioned are Chinese citizens. The Chinese government will deal with the relevant i
  • Embargoed: 30th October 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2S5Q8XNUQYJ8JRSX4Q2JC9OGR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: China said on Thursday (October 15) that no country can interfere its judicial independence after Washington urged Beijing to release human rights lawyer Zhang Kai and said it was concerned by reports that the son of another detained rights lawyer had been put under house arrest.
    Releasing the State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Zhang, a Chinese Christian, was detained shortly before a meeting in August with David Saperstein, the U.S. ambassador for international religious freedom, who was visiting China.
    Kerry said Zhang's whereabouts were unknown.
    Speaking at the event, Saperstein called Zhang's detention part of a "growing crackdown on human rights lawyers in China, including those seeking to work within China's legal system to enhance religious freedom."
    In Beijing, the Foreign Ministry said the matter should be left to Chinese authorities.
    "I think the relevant U.S. officials should understand that the people you mentioned are Chinese citizens. The Chinese government will deal with the relevant issue in accordance with the law. I think no country should use any reason to interfere with China's judicial independence and sovereignty or interfere with China's domestic affairs," spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.
    Saperstein said there were encouraging signs, despite government abuses and curbs.
    Separately, the State Department said it was concerned over reports that Bao Zhuoxuan, the underage son of detained rights lawyer Wang Yu and her detained husband Bao Longjun, had been put under house arrest in Inner Mongolia.
    "We urge China to uphold its international human rights commitments and protect the health and safety of this minor child," spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
    He said China should allow Bao to leave the country and study overseas as his family wanted. "We call on China to remove restrictions on Bao Zhuoxuan's freedom of movement, and again urge China to release Wang Yu and Bao Longjun without condition," Kirby added.
    The state-backed Global Times tabloid on Thursday said "anti-China forces" in the United States had plotted to try and smuggle Bao across borders.
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