Chen Jinxue and Zhang Lei, lawyers retained by Jiang Tianyong’s family to represent Jiang, went to the detention center to request a meeting with the detained human rights attorney. The detention center claimed that Jiang had already retained two lawyers, hence the authorities said they could not confirm Chen and Zhang’s status as Jiang’s defense lawyers. And, with the excuse that a request for a meeting requires approval from the case file office, the detention center authorities refused their request for a meeting. Attorney Zhang demanded that the Changsha City No. 1 Detention Center deliver a letter to Jiang, which states that if Zhang does not hear back from his client within two weeks, Zhang will sue the Changsha City No. 1 Detention Center and its related institutions for violating attorney-client communication rights. Jiang’s family had previously retained Chen Jinxue and Qin Chenshou as his lawyers, but Qin faced difficulties in his annual lawyer’s licensing inspection and was forced to withdraw from the case.

江天勇案进展：律师会见被拒绝，长沙市第一看守所称江天勇已委托两位律师
陈进学律师

2017年6月15日早上，我和张磊律师去长沙市第一看守所要求会见被颠覆国家政权罪案的江天勇，该看守所曾副所长答复称江天勇已委托了两位律师（具体律师姓名要我们去问办案单位），现在不能确认我和张磊律师的辩护人身份，另会见也需办案单位同意。曾副所长接收了张磊律师写给江天勇的信，曾副所长看信时我感觉他的手在抖。我和张磊律师每人给江天勇存钱两百，看守所工作人员称江天勇案特殊，坚决不给收据。

辩护律师张磊致江天勇的信

江天勇兄：
你好。

没有想到我们会以这种方式交流。

我已经接受你父亲的委托，担任你被以颠覆国家政权罪名追诉一案你的辩护人。

这些年来，我们一共没有见过几次，但当我还是一个维权律师群体的旁观者的时候，就听闻过你的事迹、你的追求、担当和付出。在你失去自由之前的一个月左右，你到长沙来看望谢阳律师的妻女，我们偶然机会见面吃饭，期间大家谈起这两年维权律师之间见面总是半开玩笑半认真的会谈起的话题“如果我进去了委托谁谁为我辩护”，你说你若进去了委托我做你的律师，我当时并不认为、也不希望你真有这个需要，但也点头说好答应了你。

后来你真的“进去了”，陈进学律师和覃臣寿律师担任了你的辩护人，他们做了很多工作。现在覃臣寿律师年度考核被卡，不方便再继续为你辩护，你家属找我，我义不容辞。

刑诉法第三十七条第三款规定“危害国家安全”案件律师会见需要办案单位批准，但是没有规定通信需要办案单位批准，所以我将要求长沙市第一看守所将此信转交你，如果我两周之内没有收到你的复信，我将控告长沙市第一看守所及相关机构侵犯我们之间的通信权利。

我的辩护工作现在开始。

张磊律师
2017年6月15日