Parliament urges the Hong Kong government to immediately release and drop all charges against pro-democratic representatives and activists, including prominent businessman and politician Jimmy Lai, who has been detained since February 2021 on trumped-up charges and accused of collusion with foreign forces and fraud on the grounds of the National Security Law.
MEPs call 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. They also reiterate their call on all EU member states to suspend any extradition treaties with Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China.
Parliament reiterates its call on the EU to introduce targeted sanctions against all officials from Hong Kong and China responsible for the ongoing human rights crackdown in the city, including Chief Executive John Lee, and condemns the attempts made by Chinese authorities to target their diaspora communities in the EU. Finally, Parliament calls on the Chinese authorities to repeal the National Security Law and to stop impeding the work of journalists.
The resolution notes that fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and the judiciary’s independence have alarmingly deteriorated in Hong Kong since the Chinese regime imposed its National Security Law in 2020, in clear breach of the so-called “One Country Two Systems” principle.
The resolution was adopted by 483 votes in favour, 9 against and 42 abstentions. For more details, the full text will be available here (15.06.2023).
