HK12 mainland law firm asked to disband

A mainland law firm – linked to a lawyer, who was hired to help 12 Hong Kong residents detained by the Guangdong coastguard last summer – has been asked by authorities to disband.

Ren Quanniu, who already had his licence revoked due to the case, was one of the partners of the Henan Railway Law Firm. The company was told by a local lawyers’ association to disband, with their four lawyers asked to switch to other companies before the twentieth of next month – or lose their jobs.

The Hong Kongers were allegedly attempting to flee to Taiwan by speedboat when they were detained. Two of them are still in a mainland jail for organising the illegal border crossing, while the others have returned to Hong Kong to face protest-related charges.