From AFP:
In a small courtyard building a stone’s throw from Tiananmen Square and the political centre of China, veteran rights lawyer Mo Shaoping dreams of the day his nation will be ruled by law and not by men.
Mo, 50, only has a tiny office situated between the Forbidden City and the Communist Party leadership compound of Zhongnanhai, but for years it has been his base for challenging the mighty state in defence of famous dissidents.
Most of them have been either jailed or sent into exile, largely for opposing the ruling party, advocating democracy or accusing powerful politicians of corruption.
But Mo is undeterred.
“It is really simple. I defend these people because a lot of lawyers refuse to take cases that are sensitive or deal with human rights, even though in China everyone is entitled to legal counsel no matter what the crime,” he said.
