2015年中国律师和维权人士被抓捕的709事件（图：Canyu.org）

声明强调指出，自2015年7月9日至今，王全璋律师被捕超过1100日；高智晟律师自新疆监狱获释后被软禁在陝北，再次被强迫失踪至今，两人均查无音讯；律师周世锋、江天勇、唐荆陵系狱；江天勇律师被强迫服用不明药物，导致记忆力严重衰退。

去年中共19大以来，至少有17名人权律师和3家律师事务所被吊销或注销执照，包括709被捕律师李和平，及为709案辩护律师文东海和杨金柱。

公开信提到，“在这阴冷暗黑的时代，在这法治渐远的丛林社会，人权律师任重道远，而律师团笃信良知者付出的代价是自由的种子，而这种子会发芽、会落地生根。”

中国政治环境日趋恶劣，社会分崩离析、人们避谈政治、维稳机器大行其道。但公开信表示，仍然坚信仍然相信公义必彰，自由、民主、法治和宪政的目标在中国终究实现。

709大抓捕事件催生中国人权律师日（2017年）的成立，海内外人士举行各种纪念活动，抗议中国当局迫害打压人权律师、吊销或注销律师执照，呼吁释放被关押近1100天的王全璋律师。

美国驻华使馆在社交媒体上转发国务院早前发布的向中国人权律师致敬的短文。纽约、洛杉矶、塞班岛、奥克兰、香港、台湾等地举行了纪念和抗议活动。

律师王宇是中国政府打压人权律师的第一个对象。她为维吾尔学者伊力哈木·土赫提、女权五姐妹及法轮功学员勇敢的辩护工作导致她和她的丈夫包龙军被捕。#709三周年 (#thirdanniversary709 ) https://t.co/OO52UXeMRt

— 美国驻华使领馆 US MissionCN (@USA_China_Talk) July 9, 2018

人权团体和709案涉案律师及家属发表文章，记述709案三年来所遭受的迫害、如何战胜恐惧的经历以及对亲人的担忧。

709事件背景，源于2015年5月，维权人士徐纯合在黑龙江庆安火车站被警察拦截，被警察击毙。事后20多民众及律师到场声援被拘，引发660名律师连署抗议。当局从同年7月9日起，大规模逮捕人权律师及维权人士，称“709事件”。


 

附录：岁寒方知松柏质——中国人权律师团律师“709事件”三周年声明（全文）

709事发三周年之际，中国人权律师团律师衷心感谢海内外朋友们三年来对“709事件”受难者慷慨无私的帮助和支持，衷心感谢海内外朋友们长期以来对中国人权和法治事业矢志不渝的关注及支持！

709事发前后，人权捍卫者中的杰出代表次第入狱或被拘禁。“709事件”成为当局对中国公民社会和民间维权力量系统扫荡的登峰造极之作。但人权捍卫者却以自己的意志和信念塑造起一座座人权丰碑。

唐荆陵律师、陈树庆律师、周世锋律师、胡石根先生、吴淦先生、尹旭安先生、王芳女士、江天勇律师被判入狱；高智晟律师、秦永敏先生、甄江华先生、黄琦先生、刘飞跃先生、戈觉平先生、李昱函律师、余文生律师、陈武权律师遭抓捕关押至今，······

王全璋律师作为“709事件”事发至今唯一生死不明、音信全无的受难者，让我们尤为牵挂——我们无法想象他遭遇了怎样的肉体磨难；我们无法想象在孤立无援、被彻底禁绝消息的三年时间内，他经历了怎样的心路历程；我们无法想象是一种怎样的勇气和力量在支撑着他的不屈不挠。这一切，我们或许只能留待他重获自由时解密。

除了对人权捍卫者人身自由的剥夺以外，“709事件”之后，当局对人权律师悍然采取各种行政手段剥夺或限制律师执业权利，使众多优秀的人权律师无法出庭辩护，捍卫人权。李和平律师、谢燕益律师、隋牧青律师、文东海律师、祝圣武律师、刘书庆律师被吊销执照；王宇律师，至今未能重新执业；程海律师的个人律所遭注销；包龙军和施平无法获得实习机会；黄思敏律师和玉品健律师被迫转所却遭悬置；······

在这阴冷暗黑的时代，在这法治渐远的丛林社会，人权律师任重道远，“筚路蓝缕启山林，栉风沐雨砥砺行”。

不尊重人权的政治是邪恶的，以低人权方式支撑的经济增长更是虚假的中国梦。四十年改开，最大的成果不是建成了一个个钢筋水泥的城市丛林，而是人的权利意识的日渐觉醒，人权不再停留在纸面上，开始进入一种实践状态。权利的维护变得丰富多样，变得生机勃勃。权利意识的觉醒与愈发压制的氛围相冲突，人权律师生逢其时。

放宽视野，人权律师遭受的苦难并不多于普通公民；暗夜如盘，人权律师格外需要打起精神，让勇敢者不孤独，让良知者不恐惧，让他们的令名得以彰显。

我们笃信良知者付出的代价是自由的种子。我们笃信这种子会发芽，会落地生根。我们笃信一个尊重人权的美好中国在不远的将来会成为现实！

中国人权律师团 2018年7月9日

联系人（以姓氏拼音为序）：

常伯阳 +86 188 3718 3338

刘士辉

蔺其磊 +86 186 3922 8639

唐吉田 +86 131 6130 2848

余文生

中国人权律师团简介
中国人权律师团成立于2013年9月13日，是一个开放性的律师协作平台。中国人权律师团成立以来，通过发起联合声明、介入人权案件或事件等方式为保障人权、推进法治进行了诸多努力。认同人权理念、愿意维护公民基本权利的中国律师均可通过人权律师团任一成员声明加入。推进法治和捍卫人权是中国人权律师团律师不懈的追求。期待与您携手同行！

【Statement on the 3rd Anniversary of the 709 Crackdown：
The Virtue of Pines and Cypress Is To Be Known Only In Wintry Cold】

On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the 709 Crackdown, we, the China Human Rights Lawyers Group, would like to thank all the friends in and out of the country for the selfless support and assistance they have extended to the victims of the Crackdown over the past three years. Much appreciated is also their unfaltering attention on the situation of human rights and rule of law in China!

Around the time of the Crackdown, eminent rights defenders in China were besieged one after the other with the authorities’ attack on the civil society and the rights defence movement soon to reach its pinnacle. And yet, rights defenders have strived to unremittingly create the human rights signposts with their will power and beliefs.

Still remained behind bars today are lawyers Tang Jinling, Chen Shuqing, Zhou Shifeng, Hu Shigen; misters Wu Gan, Yin Xuan, Wang Fang and lawyer Jiang Tianyong. Otherwise detained are lawyers Gao zhisheng, misters Qin Yongmin, Zhen Jianghua, Huang Qi, Liu Feiyue, Ge Jueping, lawyers Li Yuhan, Yu Wensheng and Chen Wuquan …..

Particularly disturbing is the status of lawyer Wang Quanzhang. To this date, he has remained the only victim of the Crackdown who is incommunicado with no news at all regarding his life and death. It is hard for us to imagine the agony that could have been inflicted on him. We can neither imagine the journey he must have painstakingly undergone mentally and psychologically over the past three years in complete isolation and deprived of help; nor envisage the courage and strength that has kept him defiant up to this day. Perhaps, the truth can be known only when Quanzhang regains his freedoms.

On top of depriving the rights defenders their personal freedoms, the authorities have also flagrantly used various administrative measures to strip human rights lawyers of their right to practice, or to limit it. Subsequently, a number of prominent lawyers are banned from representing cases or defending rights in the court. Lawyers Li Heping, Xie Yanyin, Sui Muqing, Wen Donghai, Zu Shengwu and Liu Shuqing all have their practising certificates revoked. While lawyer Wang Yu has not been allowed to resume her work, lawyer Ching Hai has the licence of his law firm forcefully cancelled. Neither Bao Longjun nor Shi Ping has managed to obtain their trainee licence. Lawyers Huang Simin and Yu Pinjian have in their turn been compelled to change law firms but both of their cases are still left hanging in the air…..

In this era of obscurity and coldness; and in where the Law of Jungle reigns with rule of law waning, we, the rights lawyers are bound to proceed with responsibilities on our shoulder. Hereby, we shall delve unto the mountain forests albeit in simple carts and rags, and we shall strive on, braving winds and storms in mutual support and encouragements.

Politics that disregard human rights are evil. A China dream that beseeches an economy that flourishes upon substandard human rights protection is necessarily delusive. The greatest achievement of the 40-year-long reform is not about the building of concrete jungles one by one but the gradual awakening of rights consciousness among the people. Human rights would no longer stay on paper. They are on their way to be practised. Rights protection has proliferated and become exuberant. As rising rights consciousness clashes with the increasingly oppressive environment, the advent of rights lawyers is opportune.

May rights lawyers’ vison be broadened so that they know they do not suffer any more than the common citizens; and may they be vigilant as they venture into the cold and dead of the night. May the courageous not feel lonesome and the conscientious not be afraid. May their good deeds and names be acknowledged.

We are confident that the price paid by the holders of conscience will yield the seeds of freedom one day, and that these seeds will subsequently sprout and take root.
Likewise, we are confident that a China that respects human rights could become a reality not too long from now!

By the China Human Rights Lawyers Group
9 July 2018

For Contact (in alphabetical order)
Chang Boyang (常伯阳) +86 188 3718 3338
Lin Qilei (蔺其磊) +86 186 3922 8639
Liu Shihui (刘士辉)
Tang Jitian (唐吉田) +86 131 6130 2848
Yu Wensheng (余文生)

[About China Human Rights Lawyers Group:]

The China Human Rights Lawyers Group was founded on 13 September 2013 and has been an online platform open for lawyers’ coordination. The China Human Rights Lawyers Group undertakes to “defend human rights and promote rule of law”. Since its establishment, the Group has made different endeavours including joint statements and interventions into cases/ issues with rights implications. All lawyers in China who share our vision and value, and are willing to protect the basic rights of our fellow citizens, will be welcome to join us by contacting any of our members.
We look forward to walking in hands with you!