China's handling of suspected lawyers a safeguard to judicial process and social order: diplomat

The punishment of a small number of illegal suspected lawyers according to Chinese law not only follows the principle of rule of law, but also reflects the objective needs for safeguarding normal social order, the spokesperson of the Chinese delegation to UN at Geneva said on Monday in a press release.

According to the spokesperson, Chinese police authorities have recently uncovered a suspected major criminal gang, with a few lawyers colluding with "petitioners", using Beijing Fengrui law firm as a platform to provoke troubles and disturb social order. Nine suspected lawyers were taken under coercive measures.

The spokesperson noted that since July 2012, Zhou Shifeng, Director of Beijing Fengrui law firm and others have organized, plotted dozens of incidents, involving breaking into public security, procuratorial and judicial organs as well as courts, gathering crowds and making disturbances, blocking traffic, which severely disrupted the judicial process and social order.

Those lawyers headed by Zhou Shifeng also incited netizens to make telephone harassment to government officials, insult, slander, threaten and intimidate judges and police on duty, the spokesperson noted.

"According to preliminary investigation by the police, Zhou Shifeng and some others are also suspected of bribing state organ personnel," the spokesperson said.

China is committed to promoting the rule of law in all aspects, the spokesperson said, adding that the suspected lawyers, in the name of "defending rights", severely disrupted the normal judicial process and social order, created social controversy and conflict between the government and the public, and provoked social instability. Endit