Everlasting Curse for a lawless "Olympic Host" -- China disbars lawyers
who offered to defend Tibetans

China disbars lawyers who offered to defend Tibetans

By Jim Yardley
Published: June 3, 2008

BEIJING: Two prominent human rights lawyers have lost their licenses
after volunteering to defend Tibetans charged in the violent anti-China
protests that erupted in March. The decision comes as Beijing
authorities are tightening scrutiny over dissidents in advance of the
Olympics in August.

The two lawyers, Teng Biao and Jiang Tianyong, are known for taking on
politically contentious cases, including those alleging official abuses
of human rights. Reached on Tuesday night, Teng said he learned last
week that judicial authorities had renewed the license of every lawyer
in his firm, except his own.

"Obviously, it is because of the Tibetan letter that I signed and also
other sensitive cases I handled," Teng said.