Hong Kong Watch calls on Hong Kong Government to urgently address the COVID outbreak in prisons and protect vulnerable political prisoners

Hong Kong Watch is increasingly concerned about the welfare and health of a number of prominent pro-democracy activists currently in jail.

The Hong Kong Correctional Services Department has reported around 1,000 among the 7,538 people in custody in Hong Kong have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past two weeks, this includes prominent activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho.

In August 2021, the Correctional Services Department reported overcrowding in Hong Kong prisons as a result of the ongoing crackdown in the city, with over 10,000 individuals arrested since the anti-extradition protests in 2019.

Commenting on the spike in COVID cases in Hong Kong prisons, Johnny Patterson, Hong Kong Watch’s Policy Director, said:

“We join other NGOs in raising our concern about the growing level of COVID cases amongst political prisoners in Hong Kong and call for their immediate release, in particular those individuals who continue to be denied bail under the National Security Law.

Prison over-crowding, which is a direct result of the human rights crackdown in the city, is creating a perfect-storm for the spread of COVID-19, putting at risk the lives of many older political prisoners with pre-existing health conditions.

Hong Kong Watch is calling on the Hong Kong Government to urgently address this issue by offering political prisoners with COVID-19 immediate medical attention, authorities to step up protective measures within prisons to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst political prisoners, and in the case of older activists offer the ability to isolate from the general prison population.”

香港監察敦促香港政府緊急處理監獄肺炎疫情 並立即釋放所有政治犯

香港監察對香港政治犯的健康及權益深表關注。

香港懲教署報告指在過去兩周，正被囚禁的 7538 人中約有 1000 人肺炎檢測呈陽性反應，這包括知名民運人士李卓人和何俊仁。

而懲教署於去年 8 月報告亦指香港監獄出現過度擁擠問題。自 2019 年的「反送中」抗爭運動以來，共有超過 1 萬人被捕。

對於香港監獄中肺炎個案數字激增，香港監察政策總監 Johnny Patterson 表示：

「香港監察聯同其他非政府組織，深切關注香港政治犯肺炎個案數字不斷上升的情況，並敦促當局立即釋放所有政府犯，特別是那些被指違反國安法一直被拒絕保釋的人。

監獄過度擁擠是中共鎮壓香港人權自由的直接結果，而擠擁環境使肺炎更易傳播，這使很多有健康問題的老年政治犯面臨生命危險。

香港監察呼籲香港政府緊急處理監獄疫情，為不幸染上肺炎的政治犯提供即時醫療護理。當局亦應加強監獄內的防疫措施，以防止肺炎在政治犯之間傳播，為年長的政治犯提供隔離保護措施。」