【大紀元2月16日訊】加拿大人權律師塔娜‧阿什塔卡拉（Tara Ashtakala）2月14日致信給中國駐加拿大大使盧樹民，對郭飛熊和高智晟兩位維權律師在中國所遭受的迫害表示憂慮和關注，要求中國當局停止對他們的攻擊，保障律師能夠在中國境內自由工作，為不幸人士提供法律援助。信全文如下：

2006年2月14日

中華人民共和國駐加拿大大使盧樹民

尊敬的大使：

我特寫此信，以表達我及加拿大和世界的同行律師，對於中國兩位著名維權律師：郭飛熊和高智晟所受對待的憂慮。

律師職業在任何一個社會裏都有獨特的地位。法律和規範是璀璨悠久文明的標緻，這是因為社會中的每一個公民，無論是達官貴人亦或貧民百姓，都會碰到困難的時候，這種困難可能是因為財產的喪失、或名譽的詆譭、或不幸的打擊所造成，這時法律是每個公民用以表達自己權利的最合法、合理、和平的工具。律師被授權幫助那些被處於這種不幸境地的人。

高律師和郭律師完全遵循職業規範做了他們應該做的事情，而我們卻看到報導，警察和其它權利機構運用不合法的手段對待他們，例如毆打、騷擾、甚至企圖用汽車撞到他們進行謀殺，這非常令人不安。在如此困難的境地，他們能夠鑽研法律並依此實施法律準則，他們的行為令人尊敬。我和我的同事非常欽佩兩位律師所為，他們幫助老百姓擁有宗教信仰的自由，拿回被侵佔的土地，這些對加拿大人來說是天經地義的權利。我們更欽佩高律師，他的處境更加艱難，因為他發起絕食運動以抗議他的同事郭律師所遭受的暴力對待。我強烈要求您，大使閣下，敦促您的政府停止使兩位律師繼續處於苦難，唯有如此，中華人民共和國才能保護其悠久的文明，因為在文明社會裏，法律行業的從業者能自由的實施法律準則，法律令公民感到受到保護。

Tara Ashtakala,

民權律師
法律講師

附：信件英文原文

14 February 2006

H.E. Lu Shumin
Ambassador of the People』s Republic of China
515 St. Patrick St. Ottawa ON K1N 5H3

Excellency,

I am writing to you to express the distress I share, with my fellow lawyers in Canada and around the world, over the treatment accorded to two of China』s foremost legal practitioners, Mr. Guo Feixiong and Mr. Gao Zhisheng.

The legal profession occupies a unique position in any society. Laws and norms are the hallmarks of great and enduring civilizations: this is because every single person in society, from the top official to the ordinary citizen, at one time or another in their lives finds themselves in a position of difficulty, whether because of a loss of property or a threat to their reputation or an impact on their very life, and the law is the most legitimate, orderly and peaceful vehicle by which every citizen can have such concerns addressed. The lawyer is privileged to help people when they are in such a vulnerable state.

Mr. Guo and Mr. Gao are doing exactly what their profession requires them to do, so it is disturbing to hear reports of extra-legal acts being done to these gentlemen by police and other authorities, such as beatings, harassment and even attempted murder by running them down with a car. These men deserve respect for achieving the difficult feat of studying the field of law and exercising this career. The fact that they provide assistance to those seeking to practice their religion or retrieve their land, rights which people in Canada almost take for granted now, makes me and my colleagues admire Mr. Guo and Mr. Gao even more. Mr. Gao has subjected himself to a further hardship by apparently undertaking a hunger strike to protest the violence against his fellow legal colleague Mr. Guo. I urge you, Excellency, to ask your Government to ensure that the tribulations being experienced by Mr. Guo and Mr. Gao cease immediately, so that the People』s Republic of China can preserve its status as a great civilization, one in which members of the legal profession are free to practice their profession and one in which the rule of law can make every citizen feel less vulnerable.

Sincerely,

Tara Ashtakala, B.C.L.

Lecturer in Law(//www.dajiyuan.com)