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Overseas lawyers banned from working on national security cases without government approval
On 10 May 2023, the Hong Kong legislature passed a law which bars overseas lawyers from working on national security cases unless they receive permission from the government. This is yet another instance where the Hong Kong government, after losing its case in court, sought the intervention of Beijing by making an “interpretation” of the law –…
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Arrests of veteran activists Elizabeth Tang and Frederick Ho; Albert Ho’s bail also revoked
On 9 March 2023, Hong Kong police arrested Elizabeth Tang, the General Secretary of the International Domestic Workers Federation and former chief executive of the now disbanded Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, for allegedly “colluding with foreign forces” and “endangering national security”. The arrest happened after Tang visited her husband, Lee Cheuk-yan (a former pro-democracy legislator…
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Extraterritorial reach of National Security Law demonstrated by arrest of Hong Kong student studying in Japan
In March 2023, a Hong Kong student studying at a Japanese university was arrested on a visit back to Hong Kong for allegedly “inciting secession”. The arrest was based on online comments about Hong Kong’s independence which the student had made two years ago when she was in Japan. Her passport was confiscated by Hong Kong police,…
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UN human rights experts call for review of the National Security Law
Numerous UN human rights bodies have expressed serious concerns regarding the NSL in recent months, highlighting the significant impact the law has had on every corner of civil society in Hong Kong. In February 2023, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights conducted its periodic review of Hong Kong, which saw Hong Kong…
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Tiananmen activists convicted in a sham trial for refusing to divulge information to police
In another weaponised legal action against the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China (which was well-known for organizing the annual vigils to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre, before being forced to disband in 2021), three members of the group were convicted and sentenced to four and a half months in jail in March 2023 for refusing…
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Statement in support of Hong Kong lawyers Dennis Kwok and Kevin Yam
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Hong Kong government adds “national security” terms to land sales
The Hong Kong government’s Lands Department has added national security terms to all land sale and short-term lease tender documents. The clause stipulates that prospective buyers can be disqualified if they or their parent firms engage in activities that “endanger national security” or affect “public order”. Investors have expressed worries that such practice might be…
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Apple Daily executives plead guilty to “collusion with foreign forces” under the NSL
On 22 November 2022, six former staff members of Apple Daily and its parent company Next Digital pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit “collusion with foreign forces” in violation of the NSL. The staff members were accused of conspiring with Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, and three companies linked with Apple Daily, to publish…
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NPCSC issues NSL interpretation, allowing Hong Kong government to control overseas lawyers’ involvement in national security trials
On 30 December 2022, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (“NPCSC”) issued its first interpretation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (“NSL”). The interpretation declares that, for national security cases, the Hong Kong courts must seek a certificate from the Hong Kong Chief Executive (“CE“) before allowing an overseas lawyer to represent a defendant;…
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Baptist University reports its own professor to Hong Kong police
Justin Wong, an assistant professor at Hong Kong Baptist University’s visual arts department, has fled Hong Kong after being informed that the university’s top brass contacted the Hong Kong police about an article he produced for an academic magazine. Wong’s article analysed the visual symbols and imagery used in the 2019 anti-extradition protests, such as…