On the afternoon of September 13, 2023, in front of the Lao Embassy in Japan, a peaceful protest was held in support of human rights lawyer Lu Siwei. Participants included representatives of human rights organizations, human rights lawyers, human rights activists, and democratic activists. A statement jointly signed by 16 groups and individuals was read out and submitted to the Lao government on site: “Urging the Lao Government to Publicly Disclose the Current Situation of Chinese Lawyer Lu Siwei to Ensure Immunity from Inhumane Treatment.”
Previously, on September 10, 2023, eight individuals jointly issued an urgent appeal to Japanese society: “Support for Human Rights Lawyer Lu Siwei, Missing in Laos.”
On July 28, 2023, Chinese human rights lawyer Lu Siwei was arrested by police while preparing to board a train to Thailand in Laos. Since then, his whereabouts have been unknown. On September 12, 2023, news suddenly emerged that the Chinese government was pressuring the Lao authorities to seek the repatriation of Lu Siwei. Lu Siwei’s wife, Zhang Chunxiao, who is in the United States, urgently appealed to the outside world, hoping the Lao government would release her husband.
Lu Siwei (born 1973) is a Chinese human rights lawyer who has represented Chinese dissidents and Hong Kong activists multiple times, and has handled numerous sensitive cases. Lu Siwei handled the Chengdu commemorative “89 June Fourth” drinking case, was the defense counsel for Zhang Junyong, one of Chengdu’s “Four Gentlemen,” and represented the Twelve Hong Kong Islanders in the “illegal immigration case” and the “inciting subversion of state power” cases involving Yu Wensheng, Wang Cang, Qin Yongpei, Chen Jiahong, and others. Lu Siwei’s lawyer’s license was later revoked and he was placed under close surveillance by the authorities.