European Parliament passes resolution following Hong Kong 47 sentencing, calling for targeted sanctions on Hong Kong officials
Today, the European Parliament passed a resolution demanding that the EU revoke Hong Kong’s special customs treatment and review the status of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Brussels. The motion follows the recent sentencing of 45 out of 47 pro-democracy activists to between four and 10 years imprisonment for organising unofficial primary elections in July 2020, commonly referred to as the ‘trial of the Hong Kong 47’.
The resolution also calls for targeted sanctions against Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and other Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese officials responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong. It also urges EU Member States to file a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Beijing’s decision to impose the 2020 National Security Law on Hong Kong and Macau.
The motion also urges the Hong Kong government to immediately and unconditionally release all pro-democracy activists and to drop all charges against them.
In addition to the sentencing of 45 out of the Hong Kong 47, the resolution also details the case of 76-year-old British citizen Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, who has been detained for over 1,400 days. He is currently on trial for trumped-up charges which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. On 26 September 2024 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found multiple violations of Mr Lai’s fundamental rights and freedoms and called for his immediate release.
The resolution denounces the extraterritorial application of the 2020 National Security Law, as well as increasing transnational repression by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities against diaspora communities within the EU.
The resolution also denounces the sentencing of two journalists of the now-defunct media outlet Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam. Mr Lam and Mr Chung, former co-editors of Stand News, were sentenced to imprisonment under a colonial-era sedition law of “conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications” by Hong Kong District Court Judge Kwok Wai-Kin in September 2024.
Hong Kong Watch welcomes the European Parliament calling on the EU to review the status of the HKETO in Brussels. In April this year, Hong Kong Watch published an updated briefing calling for a review of the status, privileges and immunities granted to the 14 HKETOs around the world. The briefing examines the mandate of the HKETOs and addresses the impact of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance on their operations.
Hong Kong Watch also welcomes the European Parliament calling on the European Council to review the 2020 Council Conclusions on Hong Kong, including the need to impose sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
Miriam Lexmann MEP, Hong Kong Watch Patron and Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), said:
“Following the outrageous sentencing of 45 of the Hong Kong 47 last week, I am proud that the European Parliament has swiftly responded. We must continue to make every effort to make it loud and clear that the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong government officials will face consequences, including targeted sanctions, for sentencing innocent pro-democracy activists and repressing fundamental freedoms which are guaranteed under international law. The resolution also focuses on the unjust and ongoing trial of British citizen Jimmy Lai, who should be immediately and unconditionally released.”
歐洲議會因應香港47人案判刑通過決議 呼籲制裁李家超等港中官員、檢視經貿辦地位
歐洲議會今天通過決議，要求歐盟撤銷香港特殊海關待遇，並檢視香港駐布魯塞爾經濟貿易辦事處（經貿辦 HKETO）的地位。決議通過不久前，香港法院就「民主派初選47人案」中45名罪成被告判刑，刑期介乎四年兩個月至十年監禁。
決議呼籲點名制裁香港行政長官李家超及其他侵害香港人權的香港和中國官員，同時促請歐盟成員國針對北京對香港和澳門實施《國家安全法》，向國際法院（International Court of Justice）提出訴訟。
決議亦促請香港政府立即無條件釋放所有民主派人士，並撤銷所有對他們的控罪。
除了香港47人案判刑外，決議還詳述現已停刊的《蘋果日報》創辦人、76歲英國公民黎智英的案件。他已被拘留1,400多日，現時因子虛烏有的控罪而受審，最高可被判處終身監禁。2024年9月26日，聯合國任意拘留問題工作小組發現多項侵害黎智英基本權利和自由的行為，並呼籲立即放人。
決議譴責2020年《國安法》的域外效力，以及中、港當局對歐盟境內離散社群的跨國鎮壓加劇。
決議亦譴責《立場新聞》案判刑，《立場》現已停刊，時任編輯鍾沛權和林紹桐今年9月因殖民時代煽動法下的「串謀發布及複製煽動刊物」罪而被判入獄。
香港監察歡迎歐洲議會呼籲歐盟檢視香港駐布魯塞爾經貿辦的地位。今年4月，香港監察發表新簡報，呼籲檢視全球14間香港經貿辦的地位、特權和豁免權。簡報研究香港經貿辦的職權，並討論《維護國家安全條例》對其運作的影響。
香港監察亦歡迎歐洲議會呼籲歐盟理事會檢討2020年理事會有關香港的結論，包括根據歐盟全球人權制裁機制（EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime）制裁香港特首李家超的必要。
香港監察贊助人、對華政策跨國議會聯盟（IPAC）聯席主席、歐洲議會議員Miriam Lexmann MEP表示：
「上星期香港47人中45人的判刑令人髮指，我很自豪歐洲議會迅速回應事件。我們務必繼續竭力清楚表明，中國和香港政府官員會因判決無辜的民主派人士和打壓受國際法保障的基本自由而面臨後果，包括受到點名制裁。這項決議亦重點關注英國公民黎智英仍在展開的不公審訊，他應該立即無條件獲釋。」