A human rights expert of the United Nations expressed dismay at the treatment of human right defenders and lawyers in China as they continued to be charged, detained, disappeared and tortured five years after the 709 crackdown.

The statement titled “China: Shock at continued crackdown on human rights defenders and lawyers - UN expert” released on Wednesday cited the recent arrest and enforced disappearance of lawyer Chang Weiping.

Chang was forcibly disappeared for 10 days in “residential surveillance at a designated location” by security officials on suspicion of “subversion of state power” in January. His law license was also annulled.

“In a worrying display of disregard for human rights, the authorities have re-arrested a human rights defender for courageously sharing his experience and denouncing human rights violations, and attempted to portray him as a threat to national security,” said Mary Lawlor, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

“I respect and appreciate the importance of safeguarding national security and the right of every government to do so. However, the lives and livelihoods of its citizens and their human rights should not be the cost of doing so,” she continued.

“I urge the Chinese authorities to release at once Chang Weiping and all other detained and disappeared human rights defenders.”

Lawlor also expressed concerns regarding harassment of the families of human rights lawyers, who are routinely threatened, summoned for questioning and subjected to surveillance.

The 709 crackdown, named for the date it began on July 9, 2015, has arrested and charged over 200 lawyers and human rights activists across China.

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