Responding to this morning’s sentencing of nine Hong Kong pro-democracy activists for taking part in an “unauthorised” protest in August 2019, Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director, said: “The wrongful prosecution, conviction and sentencing of these activists underlines the Hong Kong government’s intention to eliminate all political opposition in the city. “Having arrested the majority of Hong Kong’s most prominent dissidents using the repressive national security law, the authorities are now mopping up remaining peaceful critics under the pretext of bogus charges

Nearly 50 democracy activists charged under city’s draconian national security law Gruelling four-day hearing lasting into early hours, with one defendant fainting ‘Hong Kong civil society will not be silenced by repression’ - Lam Cho Ming A court in Hong Kong has denied bail to 32 out of 47 pro-democracy politicians and activists, in the biggest mass prosecution since the city’s national security and criminal law came into effect last June. In a case described by Amnesty International as “unprecedented attack on freedom of expression in Hong Kong”, the pro-democracy figures are charged with

Around 50 Hong Kong opposition figures arrested Activist Gwyneth Ho, who gave the Amnesty International Northern Ireland annual lecture four weeks ago, amongst those arrested Amnesty International has written to Northern Ireland’s First and deputy First Minister to ask them to raise concerns with Chinese consul general Madame Zhang Meifang over the arrest of around 50 Hong Kong opposition figures for violation of the controversial national security law. One of those arrested, pro-democracy activist Gwyneth Ho, gave the Amnesty International Northern Ireland annual lecture last month. Patrick

Speaker Gwyneth Ho has been attacked by pro-government thugs and banned from Hong Kong elections Original planned speaker Joshua Wong has now been jailed by pro-Beijing authorities Amnesty has invited Northern Ireland’s First Minister and deputy First Minister A pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong, who has been banned from standing for the island’s elections, will deliver this year’s Amnesty International Northern Ireland annual lecture. Gwyneth Ho has been violently attacked by pro-government thugs and was recently banned from standing for election to the legislative council. With 26,802

Former leader of group Studentlocalism, charged under new national security law with secession, money laundering and conspiracy to publish seditious material ‘[Chung] has been targeted solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression and should be released immediately and unconditionally’ - Joshua Rosenzweig Responding to Hong Kong student activist Tony Chung being denied bail while facing charges including secession under the new national security law, Joshua Rosenzweig, Head of Amnesty International’s China Team, said: “The intensifying attack on human rights in Hong Kong has been

Amnesty calls for public condemnation of abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang Amnesty International has criticised the Executive Office for refusing to publish a report of a meeting in late July between Arlene Foster, Michelle O’Neill and the Chinese consul general Madame Zhang Meifang, at which Northern Ireland’s first and deputy first minister said they “understand and respect” Hong Kong's draconian national security laws, according to a Chinese record of the meeting. According to a Chinese government report of a meeting in late July between Arlene Foster, Michelle O’Neill and the Chinese consul

Responding to the disqualification earlier today of 12 pro-democracy candidates from running in Hong Kong’s forthcoming Legislative Council elections, Lam Cho Ming, Amnesty International Hong Kong’s Programme Manager, said: “This mass disqualification appears to be a concerted effort specifically targeting candidates who advocate viewpoints at odds with those of the government. “This move is likely to intensify the climate of fear and tension in Hong Kong, where opposition figures, their supporters, activists on the streets and even ordinary people have been forced to self-censor their

Responding to the arrest of four Hong Kong student activists for “inciting secession” under the city’s new national security law for recent social media posts, Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, said: “This first coordinated police operation to enforce Hong Kong’s national security law is a significant and alarming moment for the right to freedom of expression in the city. “According to police statements, all those detained have been targeted solely for peacefully expressing their views. It is also worrying that the authorities stressed their

Tech firm apologises for censoring US-based activists but ‘turns blind eye’ to repression of users in China Apology comes as Hong Kong police target activists over Tiananmen vigil ‘Zoom must put principles before profit’ - William Nee Responding to the technology firm Zoom’s compliance with a Chinese government request to end meetings related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and suspend the accounts of a group of US-based activists hosting meetings, William Nee, Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights Analyst, said: “Tech firms such as Zoom must put principles before profit and

Amnesty has launched an interactive website documenting security forces’ misuse of tear gas in 22 countries around the world Launch comes as tear gas is being widely used in Hong Kong, Paris and cities across the US ‘Given the evidence emerging from US cities at the moment, there’s a very real risk of UK-manufactured tear gas being used against Black Lives Matter protesters in dangerous and highly inappropriate ways’ - Oliver Feeley-Sprague A shadowy and poorly regulated global trade of tear gas is fuelling police human rights violations against peaceful protesters on a global scale, Amnesty