China: Beijing Activist Lawyer Taken from His Home

Chinese legal scholar Xu Zhiyong was taken from his home by police during a raid early Wednesday morning.

Xu works for the Beijing-based Gongmeng rights group—called the Open Constitution Initiative in English.  It’s a group of lawyers that takes on cases involving human rights and public welfare. Most recently, members of the group represented parents of children poisoned during China’s tainted milk scandal.

Xu’s disappearance appears to be the latest of several attempts by communist officials to control activist lawyers.

Two weeks ago, authorities revoked the licenses of more than 50 lawyers.

Authorities also closed Gongmeng’s legal research center, shown here. A pending case with the National Tax Bureau seeks to fine them 1.4 million yuan, or $200,000 U.S. dollars—saying the research center had not paid taxes. Xu had a hearing scheduled with the National Tax Bureau for Thursday, but he was taken away the day before.

According to members of Gongmeng, security guards at Xu’s housing complex saw him being taken by one police officer and four plain-clothes police.

The Associated Press says the Public Security Bureau did not respond to questions about Xu’s case. And staff at Gongmeng have no further information on his whereabouts.

(NTDTV)