Full UPR mid-term .pdf report (EN)
In preparation for the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of China in 2024, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada joined Lawyers for Lawyers in submitting a mid-term report. The report sets out the extent to which China has implemented the recommendations it accepted during the 2018 UPR process in relation to the role of lawyers.
During the UPR in 2018, China accepted three recommendations regarding access to lawyers, the effective protection of lawyers against harassment, and the right of freedom of expression of lawyers. The cases of several lawyers were summarized in the report, including Mr. Qin Yongpei, Mr. Chang Weiping, Ms. Li Yuhan, Mr. Ding Jiaxi, and Mr. Yu Wensheng.
The report concludes that China has failed to take substantive steps to implement these three recommendations.
The report urges China to fulfill its commitments to enable lawyers to perform their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference, uphold the right to fair trial, and guarantee the equal right of everyone to effective access to justice and legal assistance of their choice, and to allow lawyers to exercise their right to freedom of expression, opinion, belief, association and peaceful assembly.
Read the full report (pdf).
