European Parliament Informal Hong Kong Watch Group Publishes Joint Letter on the Anniversary of the National Security Law

Today, the European Parliament Informal Hong Kong Watch Group published a Joint Letter Condemning the Three-Year Anniversary of the Hong Kong National Security Law. The group was established in 2020 to coordinate action to support the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

The letter, addressed to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, called for European Member States and the European Commission to work to secure the immediate release of all people detained under the NSL and for the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to end the political show trials in the HKSAR.

It additionally called on the European Commission to work with European Member States to update the EU Council Conclusions on the HKSAR which are three years old and work to implement the recommendations of the resolution, including establishing a human rights focal point for human rights defenders and raising their cases with the authorities at all levels.

Finally, it urged the Commission and Council to consider steps to ensure that Hong Kong and Chinese officials are held accountable, auditing their assets here in the European Union, and moving to introduce targeted sanctions under the EU global human rights sanctions regime.

The joint letter was signed by Miriam Lexmann MEP (EPP, Slovakia), Engin Eroglu MEP (Renew, Germany), Anna Fotyga MEP (ECR, Poland), Hilde Vautmans MEP (Renew, Belgium), Raphaël Glucksmann MEP (S&D, France), Salima Yenbou MEP (Renew, France), Reinhard Bütikofer MEP (Greens/EFA, Germany), Jordi Solé MEP (Greens/EFA, Spain), and Isabel Santos MEP (S&D, Portugal).

This letter comes after a European Parliament resolution on Hong Kong which called on the Hong Kong government to “immediately release and drop all charges against pro-democratic representatives and activists, including prominent businessman and politician Jimmy Lai” and called on the European External Action Service and the EU Office in Hong Kong to step up their trial observations, report on the most prominent trials and request prison visits to Hongkongers in jail for exercising their basic rights.

This week, Hong Kong Watch Director of Policy and Advocacy Sam Goodman and Research and Policy Advisor Anouk Wear also visited Brussels where they met with MEPs to discuss the situation in Hong Kong, including the National Security Law. 

Anouk Wear, Hong Kong Watch’s Research and Policy Advisor, said:

“We welcome this strong letter from Members of the European Parliament on this important anniversary. We appreciate that so many MEPs are still so focused on the situation in Hong Kong and can continue to express their support through various means.

We urge Member States and the Commission to act upon the recommendations from the European Parliament and take practical action to support Hongkongers, in particular those who are now in the European Union.”

歐洲議會非正式香港監察小組就國安法三週年聯署 敦促釋放政治犯並制裁中港官員

歐洲議會非正式香港監察小組今天發出聯署信，譴責《港區國安法》實施三週年。小組於2020年成立，旨在協調支持香港民主運動的行動。

小組致函歐盟委員會主席馮德萊恩（Ursula von der Leyen），呼籲歐洲成員國和歐盟委員會努力爭取立即釋放所有因《國安法》而被扣押的人，並要求中港當局結束在香港上演的政治審訊。

此外，信函呼籲歐盟委員會與成員國合作更新三年前由歐盟理事會就香港發表的結論，並實行當中的建議，包括為人權捍衛者建立人權關注焦點，並向當局各級機關提出相關案件。

信函最後敦促歐盟委員會和理事會考慮採取措施追究中港官員的責任，審核他們在歐盟的資產，並在歐盟全球人權制裁機制下實施指名制裁。

聯署人包括歐洲議會議員Miriam Lexmann（歐洲人民黨，斯洛伐克）、Engin Eroglu（復興歐洲，德國）、Anna Fotyga（歐洲保守派和改革主義者，波蘭）、Hilde Vautmans（復興歐洲，比利時）、Raphaël Glucksmann（社會主義者和民主人士進步聯盟，法國）、Salima Yenbou（復興歐洲，法國）、Reinhard Bütikofer（綠黨/歐洲自由聯盟，德國）、Jordi Solé（綠黨/歐洲自由聯盟，西班牙）和Isabel Santos（社會主義者和民主人士進步聯盟，葡萄牙）。

信函在歐洲議會通過一項關於香港的決議後發出。有關決議呼籲香港政府立即釋放並撤銷對民主派代表和社運人士的所有指控，包括壹傳媒創辦人黎智英，並呼籲歐洲對外事務部和歐盟駐港辦事處加強法庭審訊觀察，匯報重要審訊，並提出要求探訪因行使基本權利而入獄的港人。

香港監察政策及倡議總監Sam Goodman和研究及政策顧問華穆清 Anouk Wear本週到訪布魯塞爾與歐洲議會議員會面，討論《國安法》實施情況等香港局勢。

香港監察研究及政策顧問華穆清 Anouk Wear表示：

「歐洲議會議員在這個重要日子發出這封措辭強烈的信函，我們歡迎此舉。我們感謝為數不少的歐洲議會議員仍然十分關注香港的情況，並透過各種方式表達支持。

我們敦促成員國和委員會按照歐洲議會的建議採取實際行動支持香港人，特別是現時身處歐盟的港人。」