Hong Kong activists call for the release of 47 pro-democracy leaders on the 1st anniversary of their arrests
A year ago on February 28th, 47 pro-democracy candidates and organizers of the “35+” democratic primaries were formally charged by the Hong Kong government with “inciting subversion of state power” under the draconian National Security Law and have been detained since.
On the 1st anniversary marking their arrests, Hong Kong Watch gathered prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists overseas to issue a joint statement calling for their immediate release. They also called on the international community, including the UK, which continues to have a legal, moral, and historic obligation to the people of Hong Kong, to condemn these political show trials and to utilize the financial and political leverage it has over Hong Kong and Chinese officials to secure the release of the 47.
Hong Kong activists call for the release of 47 pro-democracy leaders
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the arrest of 47 pro-democracy activists and leaders in Hong Kong under the draconian National Security Law.
We the undersigned, representing prominent pro-democracy activists in exile, call on the international community to solemnly mark this anniversary by reiterating calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong, including these brave activists.
The absurd and unjust charges of “subversion” brought against our friends and colleagues for the supposed “crime” of organizing free and democratic elections previously guaranteed under Hong Kong’s Basic Law, reflects the deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong and China’s abandonment of its legal commitments to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Many of these brave activists have been languishing in prison for nearly two years without bail while they await trial. We believe these blanket denials of bail are compromising Hong Kong’s common law legal system which relies on the presumption of innocence, and is creating a system of widespread arbitrary detention.
We call on like-minded democratic partners, including the UK, which continues to have a legal, moral, and historic obligation to the people of Hong Kong, to condemn these political show trials and to utilize the financial and political leverage it has over Hong Kong and Chinese officials to secure the release of the 47.
Good conscience, shared values, and even self-interest, dictates that democratic world should not abandon or forget these brave activists on the anniversary of their arrest.
Ted HUI
Joey SIU
Ray WONG
Jeffrey NGO
Nathan LAW
Sunny CHEUNG
Alex CHOW
Glacier KWONG
Finn LAU
Carmen LAU
Ka-wai LEE
Baggio LEUNG
Brian LEUNG
Joe TAY
47名民主派初選參選人被捕一週年 香港人權倡議者發表聯署聲明要求釋放政治犯
在一年前，即2021年2月28日，47名「35+」民主派初選發起人及各區參選人正式被香港警方以《國安法》下的「串謀顛覆國家政權罪」起訴，自此被還押至今。
47人被捕一週年，香港監察召集身處海外的香港人權倡議者發表聯署聲明，要求立即釋放這批民運領袖。他們同時敦促國際社會，包括對香港負有法律、道德及歷史責任的英國，繼續譴責這些猶如政治表演的審判，並在經濟及政治層面向中國及香港的官員施壓，確保47名民主派人士能夠重獲自由。
香港人權倡議者呼籲釋放47名民運領袖
今天是47名民主派初選參選人因國安法被捕一週年。
我們謹代表正在流亡海外的人權倡議者，在民主派初選參選人被捕一週年，聯署促請國際社會呼籲立即釋放所有香港的政治犯，包括這批勇敢的民主運動領袖。
我們的朋友和同事被控以荒謬和不公正的「顛覆」罪名，而他們的「罪行」只是組織受《基本法》保障的自由和民主的選舉。這正正反映香港的人權狀況正在惡化，而且中國已放棄了其尊重香港自治權的法律承諾。
很多民運領袖的保釋申請被拒，至今已在獄中等候審判接近兩年。我們認為這種全面拒絕保釋申請的做法，不但破壞香港建基於無罪推定的普通法制度，更建立了一套廣泛地任意拘留的新制度。
我們促請想法一致的民主運動夥伴，包括對香港負有法律、道德及歷史責任的英國，譴責這些猶如政治表演的審判，並在經濟及政治層面向中國及香港的官員施壓，確保47名民主派領袖能夠重獲自由。
民主運動領袖被捕一週年，無論是因為良知、共同的價值，甚至是自身的利益，民主世界都不應放棄或遺忘這些勇敢的民運人士。
許智峯
邵嵐
黃台仰
敖卓軒
羅冠聰
張崑陽
周永康
鄺頌晴
劉祖迪
劉珈汶
李家偉
梁頌恆
梁繼平
鄭敬基