Mexico City, July 24 -- Amnesty International has issued a joint statement commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Chinese government's "709" crackdown on human rights lawyers, urging for an independent international inquiry into the decade-long persecution of civil society and human rights activists in China. The crackdown, initiated on July 9, 2015, represented a significant shift in Beijing's assault on civil liberties and the rule of law, according to the rights organisation.

Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International's China Director, pointed out that the "709 Crackdown" was not a singular event but rather the onset of a wider, systematic decline in human rights within China. "The 709 Crackdown resulted in the wrongful prosecution and ta...