The present document of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) concerns a letter to the Chinese President on the 6 June arrest of Mr. Zheng Enchong, a Shanghai-based lawyer, on charges of “illegally obtaining State secrets” for having provided legal assistance to plaintiffs who were displaced by a redevelopment project. ICJ is deeply concerned that Mr. Zheng’s arrest and detention violate international human rights standards. The ICJ reminds the Government that under the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers Governments have a duty to ensure that lawyers can fulfil their functions without fear of harassment and that any disciplinary proceedings against lawyers must be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
The present document of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) concerns a letter to the Chinese President on the 6 June arrest of Mr. Zheng Enchong, a Shanghai-based lawyer, on charges of “illegally obtaining State secrets” for having provided legal assistance to plaintiffs who were displaced by a redevelopment project. ICJ is deeply concerned that Mr. Zheng’s arrest and detention violate international human rights standards. The ICJ reminds the Government that under the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers Governments have a duty to ensure that lawyers can fulfil their functions without fear of harassment and that any disciplinary proceedings against lawyers must be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
