China summons French, German diplomats over human rights award for jailed lawyer's wife/ENG

2016. december 3./Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Tsetan

DHARAMSHALA, Dec 03: China’s Foreign Ministry has summoned top diplomats of France and Germany after the two countries honored Wang Qiaoling , the wife of a missing human rights lawyer, Li Heping.

Wang Qiaoling was awarded the Franco German Human rights prize along with 15 other recipients in Berlin on Thursday. Wang was honored with the rights award “for tireless dedication to representing the families of lawyers and activist held in China,” said the two countries in a joint statement.

The French and German foreign ministry has both called on the Chinese govt. for release of Li Heping, human rights lawyer who has been in “detention for 15 months for his work as lawyers and his commitment to human and civil rights.”

Li Heping should be released immediately, “in accordance with the rule of law, as set out in the Chinese constitution, and the principle that lawyers must be able to defend their clients without hindrance,” said the statement of the ministries. Reportedly, a video message from Wang, who was not present at the award ceremony, was shown at the ceremony.

Sources say that the Chinese side is particularly concerned about the German French joint approach which shifts the focus again on human rights in China. This is the second time in a month for the German ambassador to be summoned over in diplomatic protest.

Wang Qiaoling’s husband Li Heping is one of the hundreds of Chinese lawyers and human rights advocates detained in the so-called ‘709 crackdown’.

Only in January this year, six months after the arrest, Wang knew of her husband’s whereabouts when an official arrest notice confirmed his place of sentence on “subversion charges”. Being a lawyer herself, Wang does not accept this claim by the authority. “This entire process has been unlawful from the very start”, she said.

Wang has staged demonstrations and meeting with families of detainees, mobilizing them and helping with representation. She has been arrested over these demonstrations and has claimed of harassments by the police. She has been warned by authorities not to give interviews to foreign media.