許志永 Xu Zhiyong - law professor under arrest

It is difficult to find any explanation for the arrest and detention of Beijing law professor and activist Xu Zhiyong 許志永 beyond hostility to his activism - which appears to have been entirely within legal confines. Gongmeng 公盟, his organization - which styles itself in English as the Open Constitution Initiative - has reported that its accounts have been frozen and that the authorities have refused to accept the tender of delinquent taxes and have suspended the group's registration on technicalities.

As I previously discussed, this action has drawn wide criticism, including a New York Times Op-Ed piece by former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh HERE.

A deputy to the local assembly and a law teacher, Xu is accused of failing to pay taxes on a grant from the Yale China Law Center. Such offenses, if they occurred, are curable. The harshness of the official response evidences no interest in cure but rather seems designed to dismantle the organization and, perhaps, to bar Xu from work as a lawyer.

The Leitner Center at Fordham has organized the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers. Their coverage and recent public letter to premier Wen Jiabao can be found HERE. Coverage and documents can also be found at Chinese Law Prof blog.

p.s. Reuters and the AP report here that Xu Zhiyong has been released (August 23, 2009)