The mainland law firm of Ren Quanniu, who was stripped of his license to practice after he was hired to represent one of the Hong Kong 12 jailed in Shenzhen, has been shut down by Chinese authorities and its remaining lawyers ordered to transfer to other firms.

The Henan-based law firm was told to disband by the lawyers’ association in the provincial capital of Zhengzhou, Ren said. Failure to comply would lead to the four remaining lawyers losing their licenses too, he said.

In February, Henan authorities revoked Ren’s license after accusing him of violating the code of practice in a 2018 case in which he represented a Falun Gong practitioner. This came after he was hired by one of the families of 12 Hongkongers captured at sea by the Guangdong coast guard in August last year while trying to sail to Taiwan.

Ren was one of three managing partners at the Henan law firm. After he lost his license, the firm had to appoint a new partner to meet regulatory requirements. That process required the firm to file an application with the authorities, but Henan justice officials have so far refused to process it.

The authorities had breached the law by refusing the firm’s attempt to appoint a new partner, Ren told Apple Daily. The demands to close the firm were “thuggish,” he said.

Ren warned that other human rights lawyers would be targeted in an ongoing crackdown by mainland authorities.

Lu Siwei, another mainland lawyer who earlier helped the Hong Kong 12, on Sunday was banned from leaving the Sichuan capital Chengdu. Lu had planned to fly to Beijing to apply for a U.S. visa.

A security official told Lu not to leave Chengdu, and said that the authorities had all the means in place to stop him should he try, he said.

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