--- description: Experts say the confessions are often extracted under torture title: 'Confessions' of Chinese Lawyers Prompt Concerns Over Trial image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt719d4c1e369f4f91/69885b89524fc0f7c0df3a2b/ap_483286892093.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Alleged Confessions From Detained Chinese Lawyers Prompt Fears of an Unfair Trial by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2015 3:48 AM CUT  A delivery cart and cyclist ride past a building housing the Fengrui Law Firm in Beijing on July 17, 2015 A delivery cart and cyclist ride past a building housing the Fengrui Law Firm in Beijing on July 17, 2015Mark Schiefelbein—AP by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2015 3:48 AM CUT Concerns that several activists and human-rights lawyers detained by China [may not be given a fair trial](http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1841387/published-confessions-stoke-fears-lawyers-held-chinese "undefined") have mounted following the publication of their apparent confessions in Chinese state media on Sunday. The state-run _People’s Daily_ newspaper said Zhou Shifeng, director of the Beijing-based Fengrui Law Firm, which was the government’s primary target, admitted in custody that the firm was engaged in “criminal activities,” the _South China Morning Post_ reported. “I condoned and encouraged these unlawful activities … and these have an impact on social stability,” Zhou allegedly told his interrogators. “I have unshirkable responsibilities.” Zhou is among 14 human-rights lawyers and advocates that remain in custody, after more than 200 were swept up in a [sudden crackdown last week](http://time.com/3954935/china-arrests-lawyers-human-rights/ "undefined"). Six others are missing. The Chinese government accused the detainees of conspiring with “a major criminal gang” in order to “draw attention to sensitive cases, seriously disturbing social order.” Editorials in various Chinese dailies slammed the [“radical lawyers”](http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/931580.shtml "undefined") on Monday; the _People’s Daily_ [said](http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0720/c90780-8922842.html "undefined") that “the confessions of several of the \[lawyers\] outline how they abused their influence to hype a legal case into a public or mass incident.” However, legal analysts and experts said these confessions are often extracted under coercion and torture. William Nee, China researcher at Amnesty International, told the _Post_ he was concerned the detainees had been forced to confess. Whether forced or not, Nee added that the confessions, coupled with the Chinese media’s portrayal of the lawyers as criminals, “calls into question whether they can get fair trials.” ### See the Patriotic Red Army School Students in China  A child wearing a uniform waits to raise the national flag on Jan. 21, 2015 at the Beichuan Red army elementary school in Beichuan, southwest China's Sichuan province. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children sing after raising the national flag. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children sing after raising the national flag. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children march after raising the national flag. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children wait to enter their classroom. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children during class. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children take their lunch. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  Children during lunch. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images  A boy waits at the Beichuan Red army elementary school. Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3963913/china-lawyers-detained-confession-beijing-fengrui-zhou-shifeng/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3963913/china-lawyers-detained-confession-beijing-fengrui-zhou-shifeng/"},"headline":"Alleged Confessions From Detained Chinese Lawyers Prompt Fears of an Unfair Trial","datePublished":"2015-07-20T03:48:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:02:24.849Z","description":"Experts say such admissions are often extracted under torture or duress","url":"https://time.com/3963913/china-lawyers-detained-confession-beijing-fengrui-zhou-shifeng/","keywords":["China","Human Rights","Beijing","confession","trial","lawyers"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt719d4c1e369f4f91/69885b89524fc0f7c0df3a2b/ap_483286892093.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt719d4c1e369f4f91/69885b89524fc0f7c0df3a2b/ap_483286892093.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"China Crackdown on Lawyers","caption":"China Crackdown on Lawyers","creditText":"Mark Schiefelbein—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3963913/china-lawyers-detained-confession-beijing-fengrui-zhou-shifeng/","name":"Alleged Confessions From Detained Chinese Lawyers Prompt Fears of an Unfair Trial"}}]}] ```