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China strips license of lawyer for Hong Kong activist

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Taipei: A Chinese lawyer who represented a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist was stripped of his law license on Friday amid efforts by Beijing to
Taipei: A Chinese lawyer who represented a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist was stripped of his law license on Friday amid efforts by Beijing to crush opposition to its tighter control over the territory. Lu Siwei, who represented one of 12 Hong Kong activists who tried to flee to Taiwan, had his license revoked by the Sichuan Provincial Justice Department in a formal notice given Friday. Ten of the 12 activists caught at sea in August were sentenced by a Shenzhen court in December to prison terms ranging from seven months to three years for illegally crossing the border and organising illegal border crossings. They are part of an exodus of Hong Kong residents following Beijing’s imposition of a tough new security law they say is destroying the territory’s Western-style civil liberties. Since the law was introduced in response to anti-government protests that began in 2019, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested or detained. The law has been denounced by European nations and by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Beijing says the law allows Hong Kong to enjoy more social stability, economic development and greater freedom.” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called the 12 activists elements attempting to separate Hong Kong from China, not democratic activists. Beijing, which requires lawyers to swear an oath of loyalty to the ruling Communist Party, has tightened control over the profession. Other lawyers have been stripped of their licenses for representing defendants in politically sensitive cases.

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