Gallagher said there were once 32 simultaneous attempts to hack her email account using virtual private networks (VPNs) to make it look as if the perpetrators were based anywhere from Delaware, in the US, to Kazakhstan and South Africa.
The barristers, from Doughty Street Chambers in London, say there has been a coordinated and concerted campaign against them since they began acting for the jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media mogul, Jimmy Lai, three years ago.
Other targeting of the lawyers is not so easily attributable, but Gallagher said: “We think because of the coordination of the emails and the cyber-attacks and the fact that they coincide with key moments in the case, we’ve good reason to believe that they’re state linked.”.
What I do know is that if you have a campaign which is led by state authorities to say this lawyer is not to be trusted and they’re undermining the Chinese state by engaging in legal work with the United Nations, it sends a green light to [its supporters] to send material like that.”.
UK-based lawyers have spoken out about being targeted by the Chinese state and its supporters in a campaign of intimidation including surveillance, hacking of bank accounts and rape threats.
