Samuel Bickett

Lawyer, researcher, human rights advocate | Bickett Law & Policy PLLC | Hong Kong Law & Policy Substack | Proud former Hong Kong political prisoner

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

My new briefing for @CSR_Institute: Of the 14 oil tankers the US seized or sanctioned in the months before Venezuela's Maduro fell, at least 10 had ties to Hong Kong.

One firm, Galaxy (Hong Kong) Business Co., served as corporate secretary to at least four of these sanctioned companies, in several cases signing on after OFAC had already designated them. Galaxy itself remains untouched by any western sanctions, as do its directors. Their staff openly advertise the services on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

The same infrastructure keeps Russia, Iran, and North Korea sanctions evasion humming along. Until western sanctions stop chasing the disposable shell companies at the top and start going after the established corporate secretaries, banks, and logistics providers beneath them, the machinery just gets reused by the next smugglers.

Full briefing: https://t.co/T1zChRx0RX

[The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation @thecfhk]

"I am a bookstore employee" has become "a statement of freedom," across the Chinese-speaking internet after a #HongKong bookseller was arrested on sedition charges while wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase, reports @amyhawk_.

#HongKong #我是書店店員

https://t.co/bxb7NSQPi7

[The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation @thecfhk]

Seven years ago, Hong Kong citizens were attacked by a group of men dressed in white and armed with batons inside Yuen Long MTR station.

At least 45 people were injured, while police just stood by and allowed the violence to happen.

The attackers were later reported to have links to the notorious 14K triad. Now, some of those same networks appear to have resurfaced in the U.K. Evidence presented during the HKETO spying trial included discussions about involving the 14K triad in similar attacks against Hong Kong activists in Britain.

If triads, Hong Kong police, and their Beijing-backed networks can coordinate across borders, can anywhere truly be safe for Hong Kong activists in exile?

[Freedom House @freedomhouse]

Freedom House is alarmed by reports that the Trump administration has lifted sanctions on six Hong Kong officials while Jimmy Lai, Joshua Wong, and other political prisoners in Hong Kong remain unjustly imprisoned.

The United States should not ease pressure on those responsible for dismantling Hong Kong's freedoms without meaningful human rights concessions. Ahead of Xi Jinping's expected visit to Washington in September, Beijing should release those wrongfully detained in Hong Kong, and we strongly urge the Trump administration to renew the national emergency declared under Executive Order 13936 on #HongKong.

[Joel Chan @kjoules]

28 months in prison is Hong Kong’s definition of “sympathy” in 2026

[Michael Sobolik @michaelsobolik]

Thanks to @CarolinaLumetta of @RCPolitics for including my thoughts:

“Why is he being so transactional and accommodative with Xi Jinping?” Sobolik said in an interview. “Why is he embracing stability and great power relations with Xi Jinping right now? Why did he allow TikTok’s algorithm to remain under CCP control? Why is he sending high-end AI chips to China right now? I do not understand any of Trump’s approach to China in the past 18 months if he’s alleging that the CCP actively looked for ways to make sure he was not reelected.”

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

Interesting choice of photo while Tang is leading an all-out war against bookstores in Hong Kong. A range of independent bookstores have been raided by national security police, with books seized and their staff arrested for sedition.

[Razven @RazvenHK]

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Chris Tang posts a photo of himself at a book fair.

It is not known if he will actually read any of his purchases.

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

@sgcommoner You don’t think the current justice secretary who oversees political prosecutions is prominent or a real actor doing it now???

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

The US today has removed sanctions against six Hong Kong officials:
Justice Secretary Paul Lam
National Security Dept chief Sonny Au
Former Police Commissioner Raymond Siu
Former Police Commissioner Stephen Lo
Assistant National Security Dept chief Dick Wong
Former Assistant National Security Dept chief Margaret Chiu

All key current and former players in the crackdown on human rights, imprisonment of opposition political leaders and activists, and abrogation of the city's autonomy.

Just shocking and shameful action by the Trump Administration.

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

This is horrific, a kowtow by the Trump Administration to Xi Jinping, and a betrayal of Hongkongers and their fight for democratic self-determination. Many sanctions against Hong Kong officials are now removed, and this appears to be a major step in normalizing relations with Hong Kong.

Anyone genuinely paying attention to Trump, his praise of Xi over the years, and his negative comments on Hong Kong and its democracy advocates since 2019 has expected a betrayal eventually. Hopefully, however, the subset of Hongkongers who have continued to support Trump will now, finally, see him for what he is.

Shameful.

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

Utter nonsense.

If ending the Hong Kong national emergency were just "streamlining," the Administration would have simply reissued sanctions against the remaining nine officials using the HKAA and HKHRDA as the basis. And they wouldn't have moved the other 39 off the SDN list and onto a list with fewer restrictions.

Stop lying, @USTreasury, and own up to the deal you made with China.

[Nick Schifrin @nickschifrin]

Statement by @USTreasury spokesperson: “The President did not renew the national emergency with respect to Hong Kong, which has significant overlap with the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020 (HKAA). Of the 48 persons affected by the expiration of the national emergency, 39 will continue to be sanctioned under the HKAA. The non-renewal is consistent with sanctions modernization efforts that streamline sanctions for greater efficiency and effectiveness, including by ensuring our sanctions are not duplicative. The Department of the Treasury will comply with all applicable laws and statutes, including the HKAA and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019.”

[Hong Kong Watch @hk_watch]

🚨 Hong Kong Watch strongly opposes the non-renewal of the 🇺🇸 national emergency declared under Executive Order 13936 on #HongKong.

This action appears to lift sanctions on human rights abusers in return for financial concessions, while repression in Hong Kong has only deepened since the emergency was put in place.

We urge @POTUS to immediately reverse this decision to protect the people of Hong Kong.

https://t.co/DpYMFijIyl

[Aaron Busch @tripperhead]

HKSARG:

"The decision of the United States in not renewing the national emergency relating to Hong Kong marks an important step taken by the US side in implementing the consensus reached during economic and trade consultation between China and the US.

The HKSAR Government notes this positive shift in the US policy on Hong Kong. It looks upon the US side to respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in the HKSAR, and resume as well as strengthen normal economic and trade exchanges with the HKSAR."

https://t.co/QuS4yVoZtf

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

This is horrific, a kowtow by the Trump Administration to Xi Jinping, and a betrayal of Hongkongers and their fight for democratic self-determination. Many sanctions against Hong Kong officials are now removed, and this appears to be a major step in normalizing relations with Hong Kong.

Anyone genuinely paying attention to Trump, his praise of Xi over the years, and his negative comments on Hong Kong and its democracy advocates since 2019 has expected a betrayal eventually. Hopefully, however, the subset of Hongkongers who have continued to support Trump will now, finally, see him for what he is.

Shameful.

[The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation @thecfhk]

Today, the Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) was the first to announce that the Trump administration would not renew the national emergency declared under Executive Order 13936 on #HongKong—apparently as part of a financial concession. The Treasury Department has now confirmed that decision. The CFHK Foundation is stunned that the administration allowed U.S. policy to be announced by the CCP before informing the American public, and we strongly oppose this decision.

President Trump's decision not to renew the Hong Kong national emergency is a textbook case of the appeasement and weakness that members of Congress and so-called China "hawks" have rightly condemned in the past. Compounding this failure, the concession did not even secure #JimmyLai's release from prison, despite the President's repeated promises to do so.

Serious questions now surround the nature of these concessions and who truly benefits from them. The public deserves answers: Do sanctions on Hong Kong officials for human rights abuses remain in place? Is the administration restoring Hong Kong's economic, trade, and financial privileges? And what, precisely, has been conceded to the Chinese Communist Party? Congress must also act to codify the executive order's provisions into law, consistent with legislation it has already passed by strong bipartisan majorities.

Make no mistake: repression in Hong Kong continues to intensify, and democracy advocates and freedom fighters remain behind bars. The Administration and Congress should support the people of Hong Kong at this critical moment. This decision amounts to nothing less than a betrayal.

[Samuel Bickett @SamuelBickett]

RT @michaelsobolik: Don’t miss this: China is claiming that the Trump admin’s revocation of the Hong Kong emergency is part of the trade ne…

[The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation @thecfhk]

European technology is still being used to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

There is a hidden supply chain helping to fuel Russia’s war machine, and Hong Kong is the middleman. Our investigation found that high-priority British and European goods — found in missiles, drones, and other battlefield equipment — have continued moving from Hong Kong to Russia through hidden networks of trading and shell companies.

Read the full report by @Chloe_chc_25, public affairs and advocacy manager at the CFHK Foundation, and human rights lawyer @SamuelBickett on our website!

[The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation @thecfhk]

At the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Türkiye, leaders are discussing higher defense spending, new arms deals, and continued support for Ukraine. But what is the point of spending more if European technology is still helping power Russia’s war in Ukraine?

Our investigation found that high-priority British and European goods — found in missiles, drones, and other battlefield equipment — have continued moving from Hong Kong to Russia through hidden networks of trading and shell companies. If NATO allies are serious about defending Ukraine, they also have to close the backdoors supplying Russia’s war machine.

Read the full report by @Chloe_chc_25, public affairs and advocacy manager at the CFHK Foundation, and human rights lawyer @SamuelBickett on our website!