In a chilling glimpse into the far-reaching hand of Chinese state repression, the UK-based legal team representing imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai has revealed they are facing a relentless campaign of surveillance, hacking attempts and vile threats. The barristers from London’s Doughty Street Chambers say the intimidation efforts began when they took on Lai’s case three years ago and have only intensified since.
Rape Threats and Cyber Attacks
Lead counsel Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC has borne the brunt of the horrifying threats, which have recently extended to her family. “I had a threat to rape one of my children because of my work,” she disclosed to the Guardian, though it remains unclear if the threat came from an individual or someone linked to the Chinese state. However, Gallagher believes the authorities’ public denunciation of lawyers like herself sends a dangerous signal. “If you have a campaign which is led by state authorities to say this lawyer is not to be trusted and they’re undermining the Chinese state by engaging in legal work with the United Nations, it sends a green light to [its supporters] to send material like that.”
Beyond the disgusting threats, Gallagher has faced “hundreds” of attempts to hack her bank account and tricks to get her to reveal sensitive information, known as “privilege phishing.” She’s even been impersonated, with a fake email sent in her name to senior colleagues claiming she was resigning due to the danger the Lai case posed to the firm. Other tactics have included suspicious WhatsApp calls and being tailed at the UN offices in Geneva.
Harassment from Official Channels
Some of the harassment has come through official government statements and state media, making clear it is a coordinated effort to undermine Lai’s defense team. In one incident, barrister Tatyana Eatwell was interrupted by the Chinese delegation at the UN Human Rights Council when she mentioned Lai, an unprecedented violation of protocol. “They accused us of being criminals,” Eatwell said of another UN confrontation. “It was deeply intimidating.”
Sophisticated Hacking Attempts
While the Met Police has tried to assist, the technical sophistication of the cyber attacks, with dozens of simultaneous hacking efforts disguised through VPNs to appear to originate around the world, has made it difficult to combat. Junior clerks and researchers have also been in the crosshairs, with one even having their iPhone cloned.
We have to be careful about who’s publicly in the team. It’s a conversation we have to have with anyone we use and sometimes the answer is: ‘I’d rather not.’
– Jonathan Price, barrister on Lai’s legal team
Standing Firm in the Face of Intimidation
Despite the unrelenting pressure, Lai’s lawyers refuse to be cowed. “They are tactics which are designed to frighten us off doing our job or to make us worse at our jobs,” Gallagher notes. “And I think that’s why we’re redoubling our efforts. Because if they hate us – the lawyers – this much, think about how much they hate our client.”
The legal team, unable to travel to any countries with Chinese extradition treaties, are speaking out to raise awareness of the growing threat of transnational repression and the particular dangers faced by lawyers taking on sensitive human rights cases. Gallagher recently testified on the issue before the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights.
As the Chinese government continues its assault on Hong Kong’s freedoms and ramps up pressure on dissidents and their defenders worldwide, this case serves as an alarming reminder of how far authoritarian regimes will go to stifle opposition voices. But as Lai’s valiant legal advocates demonstrate, those who stand on the side of justice will not be easily silenced, even in the face of terrifying threats.
