RSF s'est jointe aux anciens prisonniers politiques rassemblés à Londres en solidarité avec le patron de presse emprisonné Jimmy Lai & son fils Sébastien. Le groupe a demandé au Premier min🇬🇧Keir Starmer de prendre des mesures urgentes pour obtenir la libération de #JimmyLai de sa prison à #HongKong.
https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/former-prisoners-and-hostages-wrongly-held-abroad-and-their-families-urge-uk-government-take
#JimmyLai
#HongKong: #Article23 law used to ‘normalize’ #repression one year since enactment
Just one year after its passage, Hong Kong’s Article 23 law has further squeezed people’s freedoms and enabled authorities to intensify their #crackdown on peaceful #activism in the city and beyond, #AmnestyInternational said.
" 'Over the past year, Article 23 has been used to entrench a ‘new normal’ of systematic repression of dissent, criminalizing peaceful acts in increasingly absurd ways,' said Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks.
" 'People have been targeted and harshly punished for the clothes they wear as well as the things they #say and #write, or for minor acts of #protest, intensifying the #ClimateIOfFear that already pervaded Hong Kong. #FreedomOfExpression has never been under greater attack.'
People convicted and jailed for peaceful expression
"The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (known as Article 23) took effect on 23 March 2024. Amnesty International’s analysis shows that 16 people have since been arrested for sedition under Article 23. Five of them were officially charged under the law, and the other 11 were released without charge. None of those arrested is accused of engaging in violence, while the authorities have accused two of them of #inciting violence without yet disclosing any details.
"Three of the charged individuals – after facing around three months’ pre-trial detention – were convicted for, respectively, wearing a T-shirt and #mask printed with protest slogans; #criticizing the government #online; and writing protest #slogans on bus seats. They were sentenced to between 10 and 14 months in prison.
"The remaining two charged people have been held in detention awaiting trial since November 2024 and January 2025, respectively. They are accused of publishing '#seditious' posts on social media platforms.
Article 23 entrenches denial of bail
"The presumption against bail in national security cases, originally imposed by the #Beijing-enacted #NationalSecurityLaw (#NSL), has now been extended to offences under Article 23. Among the five individuals charged under Article 23, the two who applied for bail had their applications denied because the magistrate believed they may 'continue to commit acts endangering national security' – the same reasoning used to deny bail to others prosecuted under the NSL, including newspaper founder #JimmyLai and opposition politicians.
"The remaining 11 individuals arrested under Article 23 are variously accused of publishing 'seditious' posts, commemorating the 1989 #Tiananmen crackdown and spreading 'disinformation'. Despite having been released by the police without official charge, they remain at risk of prosecution at any time because Article 23 does not impose a time limit on bringing criminal charges.
" 'Article 23 has been wielded by the Hong Kong government as a tool to suppress critical voices with the ultimate aim of eradicating them. Alongside the #NSL, it has handed the authorities virtually unchecked power to arrest and jail anybody criticizing the government. The result is a Hong Kong where people are forced to second-guess what they say and write, and even what they wear,' Sarah Brooks said.
" 'The now default use of pre-trial #detention and refusal of bail are alarming examples of how Article 23 has been used to reinforce the repressive tools first introduced under the NSL.”
‘#NationalSecurity’ as a trump card overriding established laws
"Article 23 has also been weaponized to impose additional punitive measures against dissidents already serving sentences. Under the existing Prison Rules, last amended in 2014, prisoners with good conduct were eligible for early release after serving two-thirds of their sentences. However, according to new rules set by Article 23, the prison authorities can waive this practice if the release would be 'contrary to the interests of national security'.
"Notably, at least two jailed activists have been denied early release, despite the fact that they were not convicted under Article 23 and had already begun serving their sentences before its enactment.
"One of the activists – who was convicted of incitement to wound, a charge unrelated to any national security legislation – was barred from early release despite Article 23 expressly stating that the new rules apply only to prisoners convicted of offences endangering national security.
" '#Retroactively denying early release based on vague national security justifications undermines legal certainty and due process. The government’s failure to comply with the very text that it drafted further raises serious concerns about the arbitrary application of Article 23,' Sarah Brooks said.
Extraterritorial application against #overseas #activists
"The worrying impact of Article 23 on human rights is not restricted to Hong Kong. Authorities have invoked Article 23’s extraterritorial scope to penalize a total of 13 Hong Kong activists residing overseas, including in the #UK, the #US, #Canada and #Australia. These penalties have included the cancellation of passports, suspension of lawyer licenses, removal from company directorships and prohibition of financial transactions, restricting a range of #HumanRights such as their freedom of movement, right to privacy and right to work.
"These measures have been imposed alongside arrest warrants issued under the NSL, each carrying a HK$1 million (US$128,700) bounty, for these 13 individuals and six other overseas activists.
" 'By sanctioning activists overseas, the Hong Kong government is attempting to extend its #DraconianLaws beyond its borders to target potentially anyone, anywhere. The situation has resulted in a chilling effect on individuals who persist in exercising their freedom of expression, even after departing from the city. The international community cannot afford to ignore Article 23’s intended extraterritorial reach,' Sarah Brooks said.
" 'We urge the Hong Kong and Chinese governments to immediately repeal Article 23, the NSL and any other legislation which violates international human rights laws and standards. We also call on other governments to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms of #Hongkongers, in particular those actively defending human rights, within their jurisdictions.
" 'The rising risk of transnational repression, which Amnesty has documented and which is explicitly tied to Hong Kong’s national security legislation, demands a response by governments worldwide. As a start, that means denouncing incidents of transnational repression and pursuing accountability for criminal acts targeting activists and others in the country of residence.'
Background
"On 19 March 2024, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council unanimously voted to pass the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance based on Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.
"The law, which took effect on 23 March 2024, introduced China’s definition of 'national security' and 'state secrets', together with other broadly defined offences which further restricted freedom of expression and the right to protest. It also replaced a widely used #colonial-era #sedition law with its own provisions on sedition which now expressly cover acts or speech which do not incite violence. The maximum prison sentence for sedition was increased from two to seven years, or up to 10 years if involving 'collusion with an external force'.
"Amnesty International submitted an analysis of its proposals to the government during the consultation period, concluding that the offences and changes to investigatory powers are contrary to Hong Kong’s human rights obligations. After the law was passed, Amnesty International issued a briefing paper providing an in-depth analysis of the effects of the law on both Chinese and non-Chinese individuals, in particular via its purported extraterritorial application."
Source:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/03/hong-kong-article-23-law-used-to-normalize-repression-one-year-since-enactment/
#AntiProtestLaws #AntiProtestLaws #CriminalizingDissent #CriminalizingProtest #HumanRightsViolations #BigBrother #NeverForgetTiananmen
#OnThisDay in 2021, Seven democracy protesters convicted for unauthorized assembly in Hong Kong including #MartinLee and #JimmyLai.
Alors que le secrétaire d'État Marco Rubio réitère la promesse du président Trump d'obtenir la libération de #JimmyLai à #HongKong, RSF exhorte l'administration américaine à tenir cet engagement. Le patron de presse est détenu à l'isolement depuis 1500 jours, il est temps de #LibérerJimmyLai !
https://rsf.org/fr/freejimmylai-alors-que-le-patron-de-presse-hongkongais-doit-t%C3%A9moigner-dans-un-proc%C3%A8s-historique-rsf
#HongKong : Alors que la phase des témoignages de #JimmyLai devant le tribunal est terminée, RSF renouvelle son appel à sa libération. Le fondateur d’Apple Daily est jugé pour de fausses accusations qui pourraient lui valoir la perpétuité. Détenu depuis +1 500 jours, il est temps de #FreeJimmyLai!
https://rsf.org/fr/freejimmylai-alors-que-le-patron-de-presse-hongkongais-doit-t%C3%A9moigner-dans-un-proc%C3%A8s-historique-rsf
Two+ cents on trump 0.2 from a European Hongkonger who voted in 🇭🇰 HK's potemkin elections in 2019:
After the city-wide pro-democracy protests erupted in June 2019 against ☭🇨🇳 CCP's relentless erosion of the autonomy and civil rights it had "promised"(*) to Hong Kong in the 1984 handover treaty with the 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, millions of people had peacefully marched for their civil rights for months when in November 2019 Hong Kong held its last semi-open local elections.
In the District Council elections of 2019, with many prominent democracts already banned from standing or already jailed, the pro-democracy camp still won majority popular vote in.... every single one of the 18 districts.
Every. Single. One. 👈️
Despite the CCP having funneled billions into its countless front organizations over the decades (even under the British rule before 1997) and all local billionaires ("tycoons") backing the CCP, except one: the publisher of the only remaining pro-democracy paper the Apple Daily tabloid Jimmy Lai. (He's since been languishing in a 19th century style gaol exposed to the elements for years now and has already gotten frail...)
Unlike the American public that didn't make a stand against deranged and violent autocracy — not once but *twice* now — Hongkongers used every peaceful means to stand up for their rights, only to be crushed by one of the key despots threatening a repressive global redivision of power: The Chinese Communist Party under its helmsman cum fuhrer Xi Jinping.
A globally known young democracy activist Joshua Wong later tried to enter the local US consulate to seek political asylum... The trump 0.1 admin just turned him down. He's also been isolated in a 19th century gaol for years now, and will remain incarcerated indefinitely... 😡️
👉️ With the USA now in the camp of the collaborating and horsetrading 19th century style imperialists and despots, the world is in for its most dangerous years since the global warfare of the WWII. 💥
With the US-fucking-A on the side of the despots! So, thanks again to all Americans who either supported this insanity or didn't bother lifting a finger when they had the chance... to vote... in November. Perhaps one last time like Hongkongers did in November 2019. 🖕
Also, fuck everyone in the Free World who still refuses to see the global war against democratic values and normalizes, appeases or collaborates with the enemies of the long-forgotten United Nations' ideals of universal #humanrights. 🖕
Thanks for reading.
(*) The CCP *never* honours any of its treaties if it benefits from breaching or breaking them. It can simply rewrite its official history and those treaties out of it; see CCP's "17-Point Agreement" which it imposed on the Tibetan government after PLA invaded in 1950. Likewise the 1984 treay with the UK was, after CCP took over in 1997, ridiculed simply as a "historical document", not a treaty. 😡️
#Hongkong #Hongkonger ##JoshuaWong #JimmyLai #UnitedKingdom #Tibet #ccp #china #dictatorship #xijinping #trump #inauguration #maga #russia
Keir Starmer played the China card in Rio – and sent a message to a hawkish Donald Trump | Simon Tisdall https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/23/keir-starmer-played-china-card-in-rio-and-sent-message-to-a-hawkish-donald-trump #Trumpadministration #Foreignpolicy #KeirStarmer #USpolitics #XiJinping #Worldnews #JimmyLai #China #G20
Hong Kong's Apple Daily was once the city's most popular tabloid by punching up against the Chinese Communist Party. But Beijing had the last laugh. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/21/world/politics/apple-daily-hong-kong-china/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #appledaily #hongkong #china #jimmylai
Jimmy Lai denies foreign collusion allegations in his trial, challenging accusations in Hong Kong's legal battle.
Jimmy Lai, the biggest target in Hong Kong’s crackdown on dissent, will take the stand to defend himself against national security charges that could silence the 76-year-old for the rest of his life. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/20/asia-pacific/politics/jimmy-lai-stand-in-hong-kong/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #hongkong #jimmylai #china
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had barely registered the U.K.’s concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the plight of a jailed newspaper publisher in Hong Kong when the British press found themselves abruptly bundled out of the room. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/19/world/politics/starmer-xi-human-rights-g20/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #keirstarmer #uk #china #xijinping #humanrights #g20 #taiwan #hongkong #jimmylai
Post von Hongkongers in Germany auf Instagram: Film Poster "The Hong Konger". Film über Jimmy Lai und Gespräch am 19.11.2024 in Offenburg. #HongKong #JimmyLai
Hongkonger Gericht bestätigt Urteile gegen Demokratieaktivisten
Sieben Vertreter der Demokratiebewegung in Hongkong sind mit einem Berufungsantrag vor dem Obersten Gericht gescheitert. Die Aktivisten - darunter Jimmy Lai - wurden wegen einer nicht genehmigten Versammlung im Jahr 2019 verurteilt.
Hong Kong's top court on Monday unanimously rejected the appeal to overturn convictions of media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six other pro-democracy activists for a 2019 unauthorized assembly. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/08/12/asia-pacific/politics/hong-kong-jimmy-lai-conviction/ #asiapacific #politics #jimmylai #hongkong #appledaily #china
Thanks Nobel Prize laureate Maria Ressa for speaking on #JimmyLai at #IPACTaipei24 Summit.
And, thanks Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC for tireless campaign for #JimmyLai. Great to hear you again at #IPAC summit. Last year, heard you talk about Jimmy Lai’s case in Prague and this year in Taipei.
A Hong Kong court dismissed on Thursday a bid by the legal team for Jimmy Lai, founder of now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, to end his national security trial, saying prosecutors appeared to have sufficient evidence. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/25/asia-pacific/crime-legal/hong-kong-jimmy-lai/ #asiapacific #crimelegal #hongkong #china #appledaily #jimmylai
Hong Kong's highest court has begun its first trial of ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai's role in the 2019 pro-democracy protests amid scrutiny following foreign judges' departures. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/06/24/asia-pacific/politics/hong-kong-jimmy-lai-appeal/ #asiapacific #politics #hongkong #jimmylai #china #appledaily
A Reporters Without Borders staffer was refused entry into Hong Kong, after arriving to monitor the trial of former media mogul Jimmy Lai. The incident occurred three weeks after the city passed new security laws, raising fears of stifled open discourse. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/11/asia-pacific/politics/hong-kong-reporters-without-borders/ #asiapacific #politics #hongkong #china #censorship #jimmylai #reporterswithoutborders
The Guardian view on Hong Kong’s new national security law: double the pain | Editorial https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/20/the-guardian-view-on-hong-kongs-new-national-security-law-double-the-pain #Freedomofspeech #AsiaPacific #Worldnews #HongKong #JimmyLai #China
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