China (MNN) — Human rights attorneys in China have been mistreated time and time again, especially when in defense of Christians. U.S. legal associates are finally stepping in.
Chinese human rights attorneys have a history of maltreatment in China. Perhaps the most infamous, Gao Zhisheng, has been missing for over a year after defending the cases of believers. Gao is a two-time Novel Peace prize nominee.
More recently, human rights attorney Jiang Tianyong visited the U.S. to urge officials to meet with human rights lawyers in Beijing. When he returned back to China, Tianyong was arrested and detained for 12 hours while his wife was beaten.
The American Bar Association president Carolyn Lamm has finally stepped forward to do something about the injustice for four men in particular. Lamm sent a letter to U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton urging the U.S. government to put pressure on the Chinese government to halt the mistreatment of human rights attorneys.
According to China Aid Association, this is the first time in several years that the American legal association has spoken on behalf of Chinese human rights. This could be the necessary step forward to bringing justice to mistreated human rights lawyers in China, thus bring more justice to Chinese believers.
Pray that the U.S. would pressure the Chinese government to free Gao and treat all other human rights attorneys fairly. Pray that believers, in the meantime, would not be afraid to worship or to reach out with the Gospel.
