A book launch by a Hong Kong travel writer and democracy supporter has attracted a protest by a small group accusing him of secretly “spreading poison” two weeks after an earlier literary event by the writer was also disrupted. 👇
US secures release of 3 Americans in prisoner swap with China. Wonderful news for those whose loved ones are wrongfully detained. We need to continue until all political prisoners are released.
https://t.co/GiwwrjBIk2
BREAKING: The @Europarl_EN overwhelmingly adopted urgency resolution re: the cases of Jimmy Lai & the 45 pro-democracy activists convicted in Hong Kong
All political prisoners, incl Jimmy Lai, must be released, those responsible must be held accountable
https://t.co/H3RMZSsD6Q
RSF welcomes a resolution adopted by @Europarl_EN that denounces the deterioration of press freedom in #HongKong & urges the authorities to release journalists detained in the territory, including publisher Jimmy Lai. #FreeJimmyLai@EnginEroglu_FW
https://t.co/d0qF8cjlul
Four of the 45 #HongKong pro-democracy leaders sentenced last week will appeal their convictions & sentences: Owen Chow, Winnie Yu, Helena Wong & Clarisse Yeung. All four received among the longest sentences: 93, 81, 78 & 78 months in prison respectively.
https://t.co/CoRIvCmUoy
Four more rallies coming up this weekend to condemn the sentencing of the #HK47: Cardiff, London, Leeds & Sheffield.
Last weekend protests were held in 10 cities across Canada, US, UK & Australia.
#HongKongers across the world stand in solidarity w/ our imprisoned siblings in HK.
This reply to a sincere question from @BrendanOHaraMP is genuinely embarrassing.
“Such protection as may be necessary” is the Crown’s promise to UK passport holders.
The reality? Government just shrugs when denied consular access to Brits like Jimmy Lai.
Not good enough.
I call on the new EU leadership to stand strong with the people of Hong Kong, & hold responsible those destroying its freedoms & autonomy.
It is both a moral obligation & a security necessity to stand with Hong Kong!
"#Canada must take decisive action to counter #TransnationalRepression and protect democracy."
🇨🇦 #CanadianParliament hears @frances_hui’s powerful testimony on how the CCP’s global authoritarianism impacts Hong Kongers, dissidents, and democratic freedoms worldwide. ✊
D1-D4 (Benny Tai, Au Nok Hin, Andrew Chiu, Chung Kam Lun) are categorized as top-level ‘principal offenders’ with a 10-year NSL mandatory minimum sentence. The Court of Final Appeal previously ruled guilty pleas don’t justify reductions below NSL minimums. However, in this case, sentences were reduced by 1/3 for guilty pleas. For Benny (D1), this means 15 years reduced to 10, but for D2-D4, it results in 6-7 years—well below the 10-year minimum. The HK47 judges enabled this by ruling that NSL conspiracy sentencing bands are ‘guidance,’ not mandatory. While 6-7 years is still outrageous, it’s a small silver lining for D2-D4 and their families.
Former journalist Gwyneth Ho's statement included an impassioned plea to Hong Kongers: "Restore faith in democratic values through action".
Ho also called it "comical" for authorities to cast their informal poll as subversion. https://t.co/PFhlGCZv0r
Today, the High Court of Hong Kong sentenced 45 activists and former politicians for exercising rights and freedoms guaranteed under HK’s Basic Law. As I said in Hong Kong last week, the UK will always support the people of Hong Kong. https://t.co/l7nrJDBAON
Today, 45 pro-democracy leaders were sentenced to prison in Hong Kong for the ‘crime’ of trying to win an election. Meanwhile, two UK judges and four Australian judges still sit on Hong Kong’s courts, lending credibility to a deeply compromised judiciary.