UK lawyers have raised concerns about being targeted by the Chinese government and its supporters in a campaign of intimidation that includes surveillance, bank account hacking, and threats of sexual violence. The barristers from Doughty Street Chambers in London report a coordinated effort against them since they began representing jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media mogul, Jimmy Lai, three years ago.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC revealed that she has received disturbing threats via email and social media, including threats of dismemberment, rape, and death, which have also affected her family in recent months. “I received a threat to rape one of my children because of my work,” she stated. “I can’t tell if this is an individual or someone linked to the state. However, when state authorities campaign against a lawyer, labeling them as untrustworthy and undermining the Chinese state through their legal work with the United Nations, it encourages their supporters to send such threats.”
As the head of Lai’s international legal team, Gallagher has faced the brunt of these attacks, including “hundreds” of attempts to hack her bank account. There have also been incidents of “privilege phishing,” where attempts are made to trick targeted individuals into revealing sensitive information, a concern highlighted by the Bar Council. Some phishing attempts have involved emails crafted to appear as if they were sent by Gallagher or her colleagues.
On one occasion, an email falsely claiming to be from Gallagher was sent to all other KCs in her chambers, stating she had resigned due to the danger her work on the Lai case posed to them and their families. “I woke up in a hotel room to numerous messages asking if I was okay and what they could do,” she recounted.
The legal team has also received WhatsApp calls that appear to be from colleagues but are not. In March 2023, Gallagher and fellow team member Jennifer Robinson were followed around the UN office in Geneva by an unidentified man. In June 2023, another barrister, Tatyana Eatwell, had her speech at the UN Human Rights Council interrupted by a Chinese delegation when she mentioned Lai. She described the experience as “deeply intimidating,” noting that they accused her team of being criminals. Such behavior has been documented in the last two annual reprisals reports by the UN Secretary-General.
The targeting of these lawyers has included public denunciations in government statements and state-controlled media. While some actions are clearly linked to the Chinese state, Gallagher noted, “We believe the coordination of the emails and cyber-attacks, especially as they align with key moments in the case, gives us good reason to suspect state involvement.” They have reported these online attacks to specialized Metropolitan police officers, who have been supportive but face limitations in their response.
