A Queensland lawyer is preparing a petition to go before the United Nations (UN) on behalf of a Sydney woman who claims she was persecuted in China.
Zhang Cui Ying says she was tortured and persecuted for practising the religion, Falun Gong, during a visit to China three years ago.
Gold Coast lawyer Chris Nyst has briefed human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson on the case.
Mr Robertson will present the petition probably next year.
“The plan is that Geoffrey and I will do some things in New York in the lead-up to it,” he said.
“There’s also a possibility that there may be a separate action in the International Court of Justice, so that may also require us to make an appearance in Geneva.”
Mr Nyst says it is one of the first such cases to come before the UN.
“This will be the first one to be made to the United Nations Economic and Social Subcommission on the promotion and protection of human rights,” he said.
“So that’s under the UN Resolution 1503 and we’ll be taking that with Mr Robertson QC and we are hoping that that will have some significant interest with the commission.”
Mr Nyst expects the matter to come before the UN next year.