The head of European diplomacy says that the extraterritorial application of the law increases his “concern”
July 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The High Representative of the Foreign Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, has condemned this Wednesday the announcement of the Hong Kong Police to detain activists in exile within the framework of the National Security Law, in such a way that he has urged the authorities to guarantee the exercise of fundamental freedoms.
“The EU condemns the decision of the Hong Kong authorities to issue arrest warrants (…) against eight pro-democracy activists living outside Hong Kong. The extraterritorial application of this law only increases our concern,” Borrell said through from his profile on the social network Twitter.
Likewise, it has called on China “to respect its international commitments and the principle of ‘one country, two systems’.” (Brussels) urges the Hong Kong authorities to guarantee the exercise of the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Fundamental Law”, has settled.
The Hong Kong Police announced on Monday the decision to offer rewards of one million Hong Kong dollars (about 117,000 euros) for information that allows the arrest of eight activists accused of violating the national security law, issued from Beijing and questioned by defenders of Human rights.
The Hong Kong authorities have wanted to relaunch the case against several prominent activists, who are in Canada, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. They included former MPs Nathan Law, Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui, lawyer Kevin Yam and trade unionist Mung Siu Tat. The list given this Monday by the Police Chief, Steve Li, is completed with the names of Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuan.
Hong Kong’s head of government, John Lee, on Tuesday invited “anyone” to help police arrest the activists, arguing that the authorities “will persecute activists for the rest of their lives,” even if that means going “to the ends of the earth”: “They will live in fear”, he declared at a press conference.
The Chinese government imposed the national security law in 2020, as a result of the opposition protests that put the regime of the former British colony in check the previous year. Since the entry into force of this rule, at least 260 people have been arrested, two thirds of whom have been charged.
