Wife of lawyer appeals for his freedom
China
In May 2014, lawyer Tang Jingling was taken from his home by police in Guangzhou and detained on charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. On 15 December, on Mr. Jingling’s 44th birthday, his wife Wang Yanfang released a statement to declare his innocence.
Tang Jingling is a human rights lawyer whose clients have included villagers fighting corruption and victims of land appropriation. His lawyer’s license was suspended in 2006, after which he became involved in a non-violent civil disobedience movement in China. He was arrested on 16 May 2014 on charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. Prior to his detention, Tang Jingling had allegedly received a number of warnings from the police for his involvement in commemoration activities surrounding the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and the subsequent crackdown in 1989.
Please see the video with Wang Yanfang’s statement below: