Advocacy Pu Zhiqiang

pu has been involved in number of high-profile freedom of speech cases in china, defending dissident writers , journalists. in 2004, defended writers chen guidi , wu chuntao. couple facing libel charges portrayals of local communist party official zhang xide in best-selling book survey of chinese peasants. case—and pu s litigation in court—garnered international attention. philip pan of washington post wrote time [pu] finished cross-examination, mood in courtroom had begun change. when trial ended 3 days later, ... seemed if zhang – , communist party – ones on trial. same year, pu won landmark victory on behalf of china reform magazine, facing libel charges critical reporting on real estate developer. court decided in magazine s favor, ruling journalists entitled legal immunity on condition stories based on reasonably believable source, rather hearsay or fabrication.

in 2006, pu represented dissident writer wang tiancheng, charged legal professor zhou yezhong had plagiarised on 5,000 words of writings without attribution. although court recognized plagiarism had occurred, ruled copied material represented small portion of zhou s book constitute crime. pu told south china morning post believed court s decision may have been politically motivated.

in 2012, pu represented artist ai weiwei when company sued beijing tax authority. same year, represented tang hui, had been sent labor camp peacefully petitioning against sentences given people raped 11-year-old daughter, , forced prostitution. tang, repeatedly petitioned officials in yongzhou in daughter s case, sentenced 18 months in re-education through labor disturbing social order , exerting negative impact on society. tang s sentence sparked calls abolition of system of re-education through labor. pu 1 of 3 lawyers defended fang hong, dissident blogger had been sentenced 1 year in labor camp writing poem mocking former chongqing communist party chief bo xilai. following bo s fall power following corruption scandal, fang filed have guilty verdict overturned, , sought compensation court.