Many civil rights lawyers and their children have their travel restricted

Boxun reports that in the past few days many civil rights lawyers and their children have had their travel restricted by Chinese authorities. Among these is Zhang Qingfang, who served as defense attorney for civil rights law activist Xu Zhiyong.

According to information released by Zhang Qingfang, on Monday August 3, 2015 at 2 p.m. he was preparing to take his daughter and friend’s child to Seattle in the U.S. They were stopped at the Chinese border, on the grounds of a Beijing Public Security Bureau notice stating that his leaving the country might endanger national security. Zhang Qingfang had served as defense attorney for imprisoned civil rights law activist Xu Zhiyong.

According to news released by attorney Liu Xiaoyuan, another Beijing lawyer’s child on Sunday August 2, 2015 was going on a summer student exchange trip to Oxford University in England. But crossing the border, a dozen other students in his group exited successfully, only he was stopped. The reason given was also that his leaving the country might endanger national security.

Another news source said that the child not permitted to leave the country is the son of a Beijing Fengrui Law Firm partner, along with Zhou Shifeng and Wang Yu. Many other attorneys in this firm have been criminally detained.
http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2015/08/201508040207.shtml