Human Rights in China has received information that Guangdong lawyer Liu Shihui (刘士辉) was detained on Sunday afternoon, January 5, by authorities at the Dadongjie police substation in the Yuexiu District of Guangzhou. According to information available online, he has since been transferred out of the police substation, and his whereabouts are unknown at this point.

In mid-December, Liu helped rights defender Chen Jianfang (陈建芳) file separate administrative complaints against the police and border inspection officials at the Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou for preventing her from boarding a flight to Geneva on September 14, 2013. She was en route to attend a human rights training session and to observe the UN Human Rights Council in session. According to an account by Liu, the Baiyun District Court, where the complaint was filed, told him that "leaders' approval is needed" for the court to accept the complaints.

Chen Jianfang believes that Liu's detention is “the authorities' attempt at pressuring Liu not to pursue my administrative complaints.”

A group of 109 legal professionals have issued a statement protesting Liu’s detention.

According to various Weibo posts, Liu had gone to the Dadong police substation to inquire about the whereabouts of three individuals, Xiao Qingshan (肖青山), Zhang Shengyu (张圣雨), and Ma Shengfen (马胜芬). They were taken away by the police on January 4, from the home of their friend Liang Songji (梁颂基), where they had gathered.  Liang was also taken into custody and is reported by Human Rights Campaign in China in a blog post to have been officially criminally detained. All four have been active in the Southern Street Movement, a network of rights defenders who mount street protests in the southern part of China.

Below are Chinese Weibo posts compiled by HRIC, which give details of Liu’s detention and the events that preceded it.

青石律师V：【关注刘士辉律师】范标文律师：十多个小时过去，仍然没有刘士辉律师的消息，有可能被刑拘或者行拘。刘律师是个有着坚定信念的理想主义者，花事那会儿，他因发“我和XX花有个约会，欢迎大家围观”而被扇颠，关了三个多月，期间遭到酷刑折磨，妻离子散。他是律师界的良心，请大家关注！
2014年01月06日 20:54

@南街之花满楼
刘士辉律师于十分钟前被转移，目的地不详。他带着手铐在笼车向我们挥手。
2014年01月06日 01:57

@隋牧青律师 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)
刘士辉律师因向警方询问张圣雨等人情况，竟然被大东派出所非法扣押。我们广州六位律师和几位维权人士与警方交涉、苦候6、7个小时也无法令刘士辉获释。忽然想起，我们和刘律师一道，在以如此意想不到的特殊方式纪念南周事件。
2014年01月06日 01:47

@吴魁明律师
高飞：昨晚两点左右，我们出了派出所在马路边等候……随即出来了一辆载着几拿了警棍匪警的警车候在路边。几分钟后，转移刘士辉律师的警车开出来，十几个持了警棍的匪警也跟出来。刘律在车上向我们招手，葛永喜问警察什么情况，转移到哪里去，所有警察都闭口不说，直到刘律被送走，警察才回去。
2014年01月06日 13:38

@江西杨崇2
//请大家关注南方街头！被警方刑事拘留的广州朋友有梁颂基。张胜雨，马圣芬，肖青山，刘士辉还在拘禁中。被喝茶的有花满楼，徐林，肖育辉已出来了。被旅游的有范一平，李小玲。另王爱忠目前联系不上。请大家关注转发！2014年1月6号凌晨1点30分消息。
2014年01月06日 13:24

@一直追寻南方1 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)
【刘士辉律师消息】：我前去广州东华东路367号大东派出所，要求了解张圣雨，肖青山等3人的关押地点，利于律师会见，022053号警察对我实施非法拘禁，声称等国保来，关上门不让我走，并收了我身份证！现已被关在一个有水泥柱子的审讯室里，有两个警察看守，022957号警察对我进行审讯！请大家关注！[话筒]
2014年01月05日 18:42

@隋牧青律师 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)
刘士辉律师：我现在在广州东华东路367号要求了解张圣雨等三人的关押地点，利于律师会见。022053号警察对我实施非法拘禁，声称等国保来，关上门不让我走，并拦住我的去路。
2014年01月05日 16:00

@公民小彪3 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)
广州滘口消息：有便衣在阿基住的居民楼下整整侯了一天，总共来了有五六辆警车，加便衣少说有五六十人。恶警带了盾牌，开门器械。张圣雨等几人高喊打倒独裁，肖青山，张圣雨，马胜芬，梁颂基经顽强抵抗，英勇被拘。
2014年01月04日 21:22

@公民小彪3
賈榀：阿基、张圣雨、马胜芬、肖青山都被抓走了，我刚到楼下看到马胜芬被两个警察扶着走，不远处的警车里穿出张圣雨“打倒DC政府打倒GCD”的口号声，随后几个警察把肖青山从楼上抬了下来塞进警车，然后警车全都开走了⋯⋯
2014年01月04日 21:08

@醉侠老高 (Deleted from Weibo, available on freeweibo.com)
@隋牧青律师 广州芳村大道西231号601房阿基（13660069040 ）家门外聚集数警，要阿基去石围塘派出所（02081568429）喝茶，阿基拒绝，遂要求搜查阿基家，阿基要求其出示搜查手续，警察拒绝并威胁称如不开门就把门拆掉，于是猛力撬门。阿基愤怒泼水而出，提菜刀守门，警察畏惧暂时退却，现待警察二次攻门
2014年01月04日 19:22

@南方天空-7
肖青山:刚才发消息时来了大批警察，一个自称姓袁的副所长13802509969带队在沒有任何手续的情况下，要求房主阿基开门搜查，房主拒绝开门，警察开始砸门，房主立即泼水警察逃跑，现在数台警车大批警察楼下埋伏，请关注地址:广州市芳村大道西231号6楼601房，肖青山、张圣雨、马胜芬、梁颂基，黄燕雯在房间
2014年01月04日 19:13