Hong Kong Watch condemns first conviction of dual national under Hong Kong’s National Security Law

Today, Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-chung, became the first European and Hong Kong dual national to be convicted under the National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong. According to local media, Mr John is a Portuguese citizen who holds a Hong Kong identity card and is also a UK resident. Appearing before District Judge Ernest Lin, Mr John was sentenced to 60 months in jail for alleged incitement to secession for managing the Hong Kong Independence Party’s social media accounts between July 2020 and November 2022. 

Mr John indicated his intention to plead guilty to conspiring to incite secession in November 2023 after being remanded in custody for more than one year. In March 2023, Mr John’s initial charge for sedition was upgraded to conspiracy to incite secession which carries penalties for up to 10 years’ rather than two years’ imprisonment. His initial charge sheet included “publishing, making available and/or continuing to make available statements and photos on Facebook, Internet website[s], Twitter, Instagram and Telegram”.

Hong Kong Watch condemns the conviction of Mr John, which signals that dual and foreign nationals are at serious risk of imprisonment in Hong Kong under the NSL, and the new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. This case carries implications for the case of British citizen Jimmy Lai, who is on day 58 of his national security trial for owning the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily, the largest pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, and participating in pro-democracy activities.

Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Watch, said: 

“Hong Kong Watch condemns the conviction of Portuguese dual national Joseph John. There is now a dangerous precedent for a dual national being convicted under the Hong Kong National Security Law, especially as British citizen Jimmy Lai continues to be on trial for what the head of his international legal team, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, KC, referred to as the ‘conspiracy to commit journalism, conspiracy to talk about politics to politicians and conspiracy to discuss human rights concerns with human rights organisations’. With the passage of Article 23 last month, convictions of dual and foreign nationals are an increasing risk, and likely to be more frequent and severe.

The Portuguese government, Members of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal, Portuguese Members of the European Parliament, and other government bodies around the world should swiftly condemn the conviction of Joseph John. In particular, the British government should condemn this sentencing and continue to closely monitor the trial of British citizen Jimmy Lai.”

葡籍居英港男成首名因國安法被判刑雙重國籍人士 香港監察促葡、英政府發聲譴責

今天，葡萄牙籍男子黃煡聰（Joseph John）成為首名因觸犯香港《國家安全法》而被判刑的持歐洲和香港雙重國籍人士。據香港媒體報導，黃煡聰是持有香港身分證的葡萄牙公民，也是英國居民。他因涉嫌在2020年7月至2022年11月期間管理「香港獨立黨」的社交媒體帳戶而被控「串謀煽動他人實施分裂國家」罪，最終被判監禁五年。

香港監察譴責黃煡聰被定罪判刑，事件顯示雙重國籍和外籍人士在《國安法》和《維護國家安全條例》（俗稱23條）下，面臨在香港入獄的嚴重風險。本案可能會影響英國公民黎智英的案件，其國安案踏入第58日審訊。

香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）表示：

「香港監察譴責葡港雙重國籍人士黃煡聰被定罪判刑。此舉開創雙重國籍人士因《國安法》被定罪的危險先例，特別是英國公民黎智英繼續因其國際律師團隊領袖、御用大律師Caoilfhionn Gallagher所形容『串謀從事新聞工作；串謀與政治人物談政治；及串謀與人權組織討論人權議題』而受審。上月香港當局通過23條，雙重國籍和外籍人士被定罪的風險因而日增，而且可能會更頻繁嚴重。

葡萄牙政府、葡萄牙共和國議會議員、歐洲議會葡萄牙議員及其他國家的政府機構應迅速譴責黃煡聰被定罪判刑。英國政府尤其應譴責事件，並繼續密切關注英國公民黎智英的審訊。」