Two Chinese human rights lawyers face losing their licences to practise law following ‘absurd’ accusations by Beijing Municipal Judicial Bureau that they had behaved illegally in court.

Chinese human rights lawyers Tang Jitian and Liu Wei, who represented a follower of the Falun Gong movement in April 2009, stand accused of having acted illegally by making arguments and disrupting opinions in Luzhou Court.

Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director, said: ‘The notion that lawyers can be punished for presenting evidence and arguing their case is absurd. The Chinese Ministry of Justice must send a signal that it will protect lawyers from political intimidation and uphold their duty to defend their clients appropriately, in line with Chinese law and international legal standards.’

Amnesty claimed the Chinese government used intimidation to prevent two lawyers due to represent Liu and Tang from attending the hearing, and other prominent lawyers supporting them were put under surveillance to prevent them from attending.

Zarifi added: ‘Escalating harassment of Chinese lawyers is seriously undermining the rule of law, and risks further lowering public trust in the Chinese legal system.’

The hearing finished without a decision to revoke the lawyers’ licences, which is being seen as a positive signal. The final outcome is expected some time this month.

The Law Society is writing letters of intervention on behalf of the two lawyers.