A Chinese human rights lawyer who was disbarred for taking sensitive cases has been arrested in Laos, while boarding a train to Thailand. The arrest has sparked fears of his deportation to China where he could be imprisoned.

According to a report, advocate Lu Siwei was arrested by Laotian police on Friday while he was on his way to Bangkok to board a flight to the US to see his wife and daughter. “I’m extremely worried for his safety. If he’s sent back to China, he’d definitely be imprisoned,” his wife Zhang Chunxiao said in a message.

The Chinese foreign ministry is yet to respond on Lu’s arrest in Laos. China has heavily cracked down on the country’s legal rights movement since 2015 under the leadership of Xi Jinping. 

Lu reportedly took on highly sensitive cases, involving people deemed to be political targets of the Chinese authorities. He defended many people who were arrested, including those who made liquor bottle labels in commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. He has been separated from his family, who have settled in the US, for over a year.

Lu’s license was stripped in 2021 after he represented a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist trying to flee to Taiwan. He was later barred from leaving China for a visting fellowship in the US via an exit ban. He escaped China with the help of Bob Fu, the founder of a religious rights group ChinaAid, based in Texas.

Speaking on the advocate’s arrest in Laos, Fu said, “This clearly shows the long arm of China beyond its borders to control and arrest those travelling overseas. It’s very chilling.”

Fu has contacted the US embassy in Laos to call for Lu’s release. Lu was accompanied by two activists when he was arrested.

China’s crackdown on legal advocates

On July 9, 2015, the Chinese government initiated a crackdown on the country’s independent legal advocates and arrested hundreds of lawyers. These four lawyers were reportedly a part of a group named the ‘709 lawyers’, who helped people who faced political charges or access benefits that are denied to them.

These lawyers were disbarred after their arrests in 2015, but continued to do similar work after they were released from prison. This work does not require a law license.

(with AP inputs)

ALSO READ | China’s crackdown on lawyers continues: Disbarred human rights advocate chased out of 13 homes in 2 months

Latest World News