China rebuffs US queries about fate of activist lawyer

Lu Siwei reportedly sent back to China after being arrested in Laos while en route to Thailand

BEIJING – China has warned the United States not to interfere in its handling of legal cases, after Washington called on Beijing to reveal the whereabouts of a human rights lawyer who was arrested in Laos three months ago while en route to Thailand.

Lu Siwei was extradited to China in September after being detained for over two months in Laos, his wife Zhang Chunxiao wrote on X (Twitter).

“The judicial organs strictly handle cases according to the law and the relevant person’s legitimate rights are fully protected,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Thursday.

“The US must not interfere through any means with Chinese judicial organs’ handling of cases according to the law.”

Lu was arrested in Laos on July 28 as he tried to reach Thailand, where he intended to get a flight to the United States to reunite with his wife and daughter, according to rights groups.

He was detained by Lao police while boarding a train bound for Thailand, on charges of travelling on fraudulent documents.

He is currently being held in the Xindu Detention Centre in Chengdu, Sichuan province, his wife wrote on X.

Two government-appointed defence lawyers were prevented by detention centre staff from delivering medicine to Lu earlier this week, said Bob Fu, founder of the US-based NGO China Aid, who has been campaigning for Lu’s release.

Calls to the detention centre were not answered. Zhang, his wife, declined an interview request from Reuters.

Lu had taken on politically sensitive cases including one involving 12 Hong Kong citizens who were arrested by the Chinese coastguard in 2020 as they tried to flee on a boat to Taiwan.

Chinese authorities revoked his licence to practise law in 2021.