Canadian and UK Parliaments call for the release of Jimmy Lai
With the trial of Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy campaigner in Hong Kong and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, beginning today, the Canadian and UK Parliaments have called for his unconditional release.
The Canadian House of Commons adopted a motion on 12 December 2023 to “call upon the Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy Lai and cease prosecuting him and others charged under the national security law and the House reaffirms journalists and media workers everywhere have the right to operate in an environment free from intimidation and harassment by state authorities.” The motion was tabled by the Honourable Judy Sgro MP, and was adopted by unanimous consent.
A statement was tabled in the Canadian Senate on 14 December 2023, wherein Senator Pierre J. Dalphond, on behalf of Senator Ratna Omidvar, Senator Julie Miville-Duchêne, and Hong Kong Watch Patron Senator Leo Housakos, rose to “call for the release from prison of Jimmy Lai, a hero for democracy in Hong Kong.” A motion calling for Lai’s release was adopted in the Senate the following day.
Following both chambers of the Canadian Parliament unanimously calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Jimmy Lai, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron released a statement urging the Hong Kong authorities to “end their prosecution and release Jimmy Lai”, declaring Mr Lai a British citizen. Jim Shannon MP also tabled an Early Day Motion on the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, which was endorsed by more than ten Members of Parliament including Hong Kong Watch Patrons Alistair Carmichael MP and Fiona Bruce MP. The motion “welcomes the recent meeting of the Foreign Secretary with Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai; urges the Government to lead the international community in highlighting the human rights situation in Hong Kong in general, calling for the repeal of the National Security Law in particular and for the immediate and unconditional release of Jimmy Lai specifically, in the forthcoming Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations.”
An Urgent Question was also tabled in the British House of Commons by Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, the Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), and was debated this afternoon. Hong Kong Watch Patrons Fiona Bruce MP, Alistair Carmichael MP, Sarah Champion MP and Catherine West MP all spoke at the debate. Fiona Bruce MP asked if the British government takes seriously the increasing threat to freedom of religion or belief in Hong Kong, and cited Hong Kong Watch’s groundbreaking report on the topic, “Sell Out My Soul: The Impending Threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Hong Kong.”
Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“We warmly welcome these initiatives in both the Canadian and UK Parliaments in support of Jimmy Lai. It is vital that the international community continue to keep a spotlight on Jimmy Lai’s trial, and keep up the pressure on the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities for his immediate and unconditional release. There is a very grave danger that, having just turned 76, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. We must do everything possible to ensure that this does not happen. We thank our friends in the Canadian and UK Parliament for their efforts which, alongside the statement from the British Foreign Secretary yesterday, send a strong and united message for justice for Jimmy Lai.”
黎智英國安案開審 加、英國會同聲呼籲無條件放人
因應香港知名民運人士、已停運《蘋果日報》創辦人黎智英的案件今天開審，加拿大和英國國會同聲呼籲無條件釋放他。
加拿大眾議院於12月12日通過動議，「呼籲香港當局釋放黎智英，並停止起訴他及其他被控《國家安全法》控罪的人；眾議院重申世界各地的記者和傳媒工作者均有權在不受國家當局恐嚇及騷擾的環境中工作。」有關動議由加拿大國會議員Hon. Judy Sgro提出，並獲一致通過。
12月14日，加拿大參議員Pierre J. Dalphond代表參議員Ratna Omidvar、Julie Miville-Duchêne和香港監察贊助人Leo Housakos向參議院提出聲明，起身「呼籲釋放香港民主英雄黎智英。」翌日，參議院通過要求釋放黎智英的動議。
繼加拿大參眾兩院一致呼籲立即無條件釋放黎智英後，英國外交大臣甘民樂（David Cameron）發表聲明，呼籲香港當局「停止起訴並釋放黎智英」，宣稱其為英國公民。另外，英國國會議員Jim Shannon就黎智英入獄提出早期動議。有關動議獲十多名國會議員簽署支持，當中包括香港監察贊助人Alistair Carmichael和Fiona Bruce。動議「歡迎外相最近與黎智英的兒子黎崇恩會面；促請政府帶領國際社會在即將舉行的聯合國普遍定期審議中重點關注香港整體人權狀況，並特別呼籲廢除《國家安全法》，以及立即無條件釋放黎智英。」
對華政策跨國議會聯盟（IPAC）聯席主席施志安爵士（Sir Iain Duncan Smith）亦向英國下議院提出緊急質詢，今天下午展開辯論。香港監察贊助人Fiona Bruce、Alistair Carmichael、Sarah Champion和Catherine West均在辯論中發言。國會議員Fiona Bruce詢問英國政府有否認真對待香港宗教或信仰自由所受到日益嚴重的威脅，並引用香港監察以此為主題的創新報告《出賣我靈：香港宗教或信仰自由即將面臨的威脅》（Sell Out My Soul: The Impending Threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Hong Kong）。
香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）表示：
「我們非常歡迎加拿大和英國國會提出這些支持黎智英的倡議。國際社會必須繼續關注黎智英的審訊，並繼續向中國和香港當局施壓，要求立即無條件釋放他。黎智英剛滿76歲，極有可能在獄中度過餘生。我們必須竭盡所能確保這種情況不會發生。我們感謝加、英兩國國會朋友所做的事，這加上英國外相昨天發表的聲明，共同傳遞出為黎智英伸張正義的強烈信息。」