【大紀元5月14日訊】二零零七年四月二十七日上午，北京六位代理律師李和平、黎雄兵、張立輝、李順章、滕彪、鄔宏威於河北省石家庄中級法院法庭，為法輪功學員王博一家三人做無罪辯護。這是外界第一次聽到中國能夠有多名律師，在法庭公開為法輪功學員做無罪辯護。
五月五日台灣多個律師、人權團體召開聯合記者會聲援北京的六位律師，長期關注法輪功事件並擔任為法輪功辯護的美國律師泰瑞瑪什律師獲悉整起事件後，以人權法律協會的總執行長發表支持北京六律師行為的聲明。
人權法律協會還表示，將考慮邀請世界知名的國際人權組織及律師團體聲援在中國為法輪功辯護的律師們。
以下是該協會的聲明：
依據美國「國會暨行政部門委員會」（Congressional-Executive Commission）於二○○六月九月所發布之新聞稿指出，中共當局仍繼續對處理政治敏感案件的律師施加限制….執法官員以莫須有的罪名控告這些案件的辯護律師，或是以控告為脅，許多人權組織已經證實了這些事實，並且以其組織為名表達對此議題的關注。
「人權觀察」在其二○○六年八月廿三日發表的「中國政府必須停止對律師的打壓」一文中指出，有許多著名的律師被強制逮捕、關押，刑事起訴，在許多案例中，律師僅僅因為其敢於提供法律協助給中國當局所迫害的人民，甚至因此遭到監禁和酷刑。
「人權觀察」的亞洲部門的副主任瑞查森（Richardson）：「中共當局已經不能再耍兩面手法」；「北京可以選擇悍衛法治，容忍法律上的挑戰，或是揚棄司法改革的表象。中共對陳光誠、高智晟等人的作為，令人難以相信在中國的法律面前人人平等」。
儘管「人權觀察」、本會及其他非政府組織要求中共當局：無條件的釋放高智晟律師外、宣告對於陳光誠案的誤審，和確保在律師執行職務時不受威脅、報復和干預，高智晟律師仍因為其維護涉入政治敏感案件的中國人民的權利而遭到不公審判。高的辯護律師在一次訪談中談到，就在他從未收到開庭通知，也不被允許出庭的情況下，高律師被非法判判處三年徒刑，緩刑五年，剝奪政治權利一年，並且在政府監控及威脅下，仍面臨著再度被逮捕的威脅。
廣泛的講，還有許多未被公佈出來的案例中揭露：中國律師仍遭到不斷的人身攻擊，律師在不受威脅及公開污辱下為中國人民辯護的律師權利遭到嚴重侵害。（參見人權觀察「律師對於新的限制的反應及政府的回應」Great Danger for Lawyers? New Regulatory Curbs on Lawyers p.12, available at
//www.hrw.org/reports/2006/china1206/8.htm）。除了經由非法監禁、撤銷執照、威脅、判刑對於律師工作進行干預及妨礙外，中共還用了一些新的限制手段來阻擾中國律師的執業。例如，中共政府所控制之「中華全國律師協會」於二○○六年三月所發布的「關於律師辦理群體性案件指導意見」，可謂在促進中國法治上的一大倒退。
北京著名的六位律師在干冒被撤銷執照、個人的性命安危及犧牲自由的風險（遑論在社會上原本可得的聲譽及財富地位）公開為法輪功學員進行辯護，確為一個重大的里程碑。儘管有不准為中國法輪功學員案件辯護的禁止，以及少於百分之二的刑事案件得以成功上訴，在二○○七年四月廿七日，這六名律師在河北石家莊中級法院開庭時，仍選擇為法輪功學員王博一家之上訴案在法庭上公開做無罪辯護（參見”臺灣聲援為法輪功無罪辯護的六律師 //minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/5/6/154217.html）
六名北京律師之一的滕彪律師，竟在在開庭期間，眾目睽睽之下被法警毆打，他事後在新唐人電視台訪問其為什麼干冒危險為法輪功學員辯護時，他提到的大致內容如下：
法輪功學員在憲法相關規定下享有信仰自由等基本權利。我覺得不論我們會發生什麼事，王博和她的父母有律師辯護權。利用虛假的審判，和其他非法的陰謀手段結合在一起打壓中國公民的信仰和言論自由，剝奪中國公民在法律上應享有正當程序的法律權利，在中國是非常嚴重的事。身為一個律師，我有權利及責任為法輪功學員辯護。中國的知識份子和律師基於不同的理由而對此迫害默不作聲，我們都知道這是錯誤的。我們是本於良知，挺身而出為王博和她的家人辯護。
對於滕彪及其他五位律師的義舉我們不僅關注並深表敬佩。如本協會亞洲區執行長朱婉琪在台北所舉辦的一場聲援六位北京律師的記者會中所言：「中共在二十一世紀還在中國各地搞人間煉獄，在中國的律師要想盡辦法做到兩件事情，保護當事人權益與保護自己的小命」。而這六位律師卻能置個人生死於度外，成就大我－為所有中國人民能自由的實踐其信仰，不再遭到報復及非法關押而努力。此外，每一個公民應享有之辯護權不僅在中國法律中有明文規定，更在「世界人權宣言」、「公民權利及政治權利國際公約」及「聯合國一九九○年律師角色基本原則」和其他相關的人權文獻中有所規定，其重要性也同樣不在話下。。
本協會不僅讚揚這六位北京律師並且願意提供其所需之法律及其他協助，以幫助所有中國律師能在此議題繼續堅定不移，進而確保獨立運作的司法和真正法治的出現，用以促使中國成為一個合乎體統的高尚中國。
西元二○○七年五月十三日
美國人權法律協會 總執行長泰瑞瑪什律師
原文：
THE BEIJING SIX:
A LANDMARK CASE ON BEHALF OF FALUN GONG IN CHINA
According to the Congressional-Executive Commission September 2006 Press Release, Chinese authorities continue to increase restrictions on lawyers who work on politically sensitive cases …, law enforcement officials continue to intimidate lawyers defending these cases by charging them, or threatening to charge them, with crimes they did not commit. Several other human rights NGO’s have confirmed this information and added their name to the list of concerned parties.
Human Rights Watch (“China: Government Must End Crackdown on Lawyers,” Hong Kong, August 23, 2006) had this to say about the number of prominent attorneys who have been arbitrarily arrested, detained, subjected to criminal prosecution and, in many cases, imprisoned and tortured, for the simple reason that they have dared to provide legal assistance to those being subjected to persecution by the Chinese authorities.
“Chinese authorities can no longer have it both ways,” said [Sophie] Richardson,
[deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch]. “Beijing should either
uphold the rule of law and tolerate legal challenges or drop this façade of commitment
to legal reform. The actions against Chen Guangchen, Gao Zhesheng and others make it difficult to believe that everyone in China is equal before the law.”
In spite of the fact that Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Law Foundation and other NGOs around the world have called on the Chinese authorities to release Gao unconditionally, declare a mistrial in Chen’s case and ensure that lawyers are free of intimidation, retaliation and interference as they carry out their professional duties, Gao Zhisheng was subjected to a sham trial for his role in defending the rights of Chinese citizens in politically sensitive cases. Gao, whose lawyer confirmed in an interview that he had not received prior notice of the trial and was not permitted to attend, was sentenced to illegal and unlawful 5 years sentence of government surveillance, intimidation, and an ongoing threat of re-arrest.
More generally the rights of lawyers to represent Chinese citizens without harassment, intimidation and public humiliation has been further curtailed by continued physical attacks on lawyers that as yet remain unpublished (see, for example, Human Rights Watch, “Lawyers Reactions to the New Restrictions and the Government’s Response,” in Great Danger for Lawyers? New Regulatory Curbs on Lawyers p.12, available at //www.hrw.org/reports/2006/china1206/8.htm). In addition to the obstruction of the work of lawyers through unlawful detentions, disbarment, intimidation and imprisonment, are the number of new restrictions introduced to prevent lawyers in China from the practice of their profession. For instance, the government controlled All China Lawyers Association’s issuance in March of 2006 of its “Guiding Opinions on Lawyers Handling Mass cases,” stands as a major setback to efforts to promote the rule of law.
Against this background, six prominent lawyers in China risked their bar license, their physical safety and personal liberty – not to mention their reputation and financial status – to defend Falun Gong practitioners in a landmark case . In spite of the legal prohibition against representing Falun Gong practitioners in court and while fewer than two percent of criminal cases are accepted for appeal, the Beijing Six managed to have the case accepted for appeal and to attend the court hearing as the lawyers of Falun Gong practitioner Wang Bo and her parents in Shijiazhuang Intermediate Court in Hebei Province on April 27, 2007. See, “Taiwan: Press Conference Supports Six Lawyers Defending Falun Gong Practitioners in China,” in Clearwisdom.net, available at //www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2007/5/7/85340p.html.
When one of the six, Tong Biao, who was beaten by court police in public view, was asked by a New Tang Dynasty Television reporter why he risked all to defend his Falun Gong client, he replied (in words like these):
Falun Gong has basic rights under several provisions of the Constitution which include freedom of belief. I feel that no matter what happens [to us], Wang Bo
And her parents have a right to legal counsel. The suppression of freedom of
belief and speech in China in conjunction with the use of sham trials and other illegal ploys
to undermine the due process rights of Chinese citizens is a serious matter in China.
As a lawyer, I have the right and responsibility to defend practitioners of Falun Gong.
… While many intellectuals and lawyers in China have kept silent for different reasons, we know this is wrong and our conscience requires us to stand up and defend Wang Bo and her family.
The righteous stance of Tang Biao and his 5 colleagues cannot but merit our attention and respect. As Chu Wan-Chi, Director of Human Rights Law Foundation Asia aptly said at a panel discussion in Tapei on the topic of the Beijing Six, “In the twenty-first century, the CCP has established hell on earth. Lawyers in China try their best to do two things: to protects litigants’ interests and their own lives.” These lawyers however, have put aside protection of self in service of a far greater good – the right of all Chinese people to freely practice their religion without fear of reprisal and unlawful arrest and, no less importantly, each citizen’s right to legal counsel of his or her choice, thereby affirming principles and norms enshrined not only in Chinese law, but also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and other relevant human rights instruments.
Human Rights Law Foundation commends the Beijing Six and offers to provide whatever legal or other support needed to help lawyers in China continue to stand firm on this issue to ensure that an independent judicial branch and genuine rule of law permit China to become what was once China proper.
(//www.dajiyuan.com)
