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Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UK moves to reinstate extradition deal with Hong Kong despite concerns
The United Kingdom government is moving to reinstate extradition cooperation with Hong Kong that was suspended five years ago due to concerns about the city's Chinese national security laws. The Home Office applied to Parliament to make the changes on July 17, followed by a letter to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp the next day. 'It is in our national interest to have effective extradition relationships to prevent criminals from evading justice and the UK becoming a haven for criminals,' the July 18 letter from Security Minister Dan Jarvis said. The Home Office also plans to restore an extradition framework with Chile and Zimbabwe, according to the letter, which was shared on X by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns. Cases for Hong Kong and Zimbabwe would both be considered on a 'case-by-case basis,' Jarvis said. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a particular sticking point for the UK due to their historical relationship and the sharp decline in political freedoms in Hong Kong since China imposed controversial national security legislation in 2020. In 2024, legislators in Hong Kong approved a new national security law - referred to as Article 23 – that gave the government new powers to crack down on all forms of dissent on the grounds of alleged treason, espionage, sedition and external interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs. At the time, Hong Kong's government said Article 23 was needed to prevent a recurrence of the protests of 2019, and that its provisions would only affect 'an extremely small minority' of disloyal residents. The UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and the United States all suspended their extradition agreements in 2020 with the Chinese city due to concerns about how the laws would be used. 'In my view, reinstating extradition with Hong Kong is morally indefensible. The Chinese Communist Party has turned Hong Kong into a surveillance state where freedom of expression, rule of law, and basic civil liberties are systematically dismantled,' Kearns wrote on X. 'This move risks legitimizing a regime that imprisons critics, silences democracy activists, and uses extradition as a tool of persecution,' she said. Here is the letter from the Home Office. In my view, reinstating extradition with Hong Kong is morally indefensible. The Chinese Communist Party has turned Hong Kong into a surveillance state where freedom of expression, rule of law, and basic civil liberties are… — Alicia Kearns MP (@aliciakearns) July 24, 2025 Ronny Tong, a Hong Kong barrister and member of the city's executive council, told Al Jazeera that concerns about a potential extradition deal were overblown. 'Extradition is in relation to non-political criminal cases, so any fear that it'd be used to transfer persons with political crimes, eg, national security cases, is totally unfounded and only shows ignorance of the procedure,' he said. 'Furthermore, it is up to judges of the transferring state to ensure the procedure will not be abused.' He said the city was 'more than ready to restart the arrangement, as we have full confidence our judges are totally independent and of highest integrity'. Hong Kong's 2020 national security law criminalised secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference, and was supplemented in 2024 to include treason, sedition, theft of state secrets, espionage, sabotage, and external interference. Hong Kong's government has said the laws are necessary to protect the city from political sabotage and foreign influence, following months of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. Security Minister Chris Tang said in June that 326 people have been arrested under Hong Kong's national security laws since 2020. The government has also used international bounties to expand its reach to Hong Kong activists abroad, or cancelled their passports while they were overseas. The moves have been seen as largely symbolic, but also chilling for a city that was once considered the freest place in Asia. On Friday, Hong Kong issued a new list of bounties for 19 activists involved with a pro-Hong Kong democracy NGO in Canada. Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 as a 'special administrative region' and was promised special rights and freedoms until 2047, under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Malaysian Reserve
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysian Reserve
HK arrests 18-year-old for writing ‘seditious words' in bathroom
HONG KONG police arrested an 18-year-old on suspicion he left what they called 'seditious' messages in a bathroom, adding to a recent series of national security actions that signal authorities' continued efforts to curb dissent. The man is accused of being 'involved in writing seditious words in a commercial building toilet on three separate occasions,' the government said Wednesday. The content allegedly provoked hatred and disaffection against the government and incited others to defy the law. The move is the latest in a flurry of enforcement actions against perceived threats to the Chinese state in the former British colony. Hong Kong is seeking to burnish its status as a finance hub after its image took a hit from strict pandemic controls and clampdown on political freedoms. Earlier this month police arrested four men for allegedly advocating independence for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. In June, local authorities took their first known joint operation with Beijing's security officers to investigate a case of alleged foreign collusion. Police also banned a Taiwanese video game that month for allegedly calling for armed revolution. In its Wednesday statement, the National Security Department of the police charged the man for carrying out 'with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention,' a crime that's punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment on first conviction. The offense is defined in the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, commonly known as Article 23, which was fast-tracked into domestic law last year. It's been invoked in addition to the Beijing-imposed National Security Law of 2020, which authorities used to detain and imprison dozens of leading democracy activists. The Hong Kong government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. –BLOOMBERG
HKFP
23-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong teen arrested for allegedly writing ‘seditious words' in commercial building toilet
A Hong Kong teenager has been arrested and charged after he allegedly wrote 'seditious' messages in the toilet of a commercial building on three occasions. The 18-year-old was arrested in Kowloon on Monday on suspicion of 'doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention', the National Security Department of the police force said in a statement on Wednesday. He will be brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday afternoon to face one count of sedition charge, as well as three counts of criminal damage. According to the police, the messages were deemed to have provoked hatred, contempt or disaffection against the constitutional order and the executive, legislative or judicial authorities in Hong Kong. The contents also incited other people to commit illegal acts, the police alleged. 'Police remind members of the public that 'doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention' is a serious offence. Offenders shall be liable to imprisonment for seven years on first conviction. Members of the public are urged not to defy the law,' the statement read. Sedition was originally outlawed under the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance and carried a maximum penalty of two years in prison. However, the law was repealed after sedition was incorporated into Hong Kong's domestic security legislation, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance — enacted in March 2024. More commonly known as Article 23 legislation, the ordinance is separate from the Beiing-imposed national security law enacted in 2020. The homegrown legislation targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city's opposition-free legislature. The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.
Straits Times
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
HK police arrest 18-year-old for writing ‘seditious words' in toilet
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Hong Kong has taken a flurry of enforcement actions under security law commonly known as Article 23. HONG KONG – Hong Kong police arrested an 18-year-old on suspicion he left what they called 'seditious' messages in a toilet, adding to a recent series of national security actions that signal the authorities' continued efforts to curb dissent. The man is accused of being 'involved in writing seditious words in a commercial building toilet on three separate occasions', the government said on July 23. The content allegedly provoked hatred and disaffection against the government and incited others to defy the law. The move is the latest in a flurry of enforcement actions against perceived threats to the Chinese state in the former British colony. Hong Kong is seeking to burnish its status as a finance hub after its image took a hit from strict pandemic controls and clampdown on political freedoms. Earlier in July, police arrested four men for allegedly advocating independence for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. In June, the local authorities took their first known joint operation with Beijing's security officers to investigate a case of alleged foreign collusion. Police also banned a Taiwanese video game for allegedly calling for armed revolution. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore's domestic recycling rate drops to all time low of 11% Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in Singapore Youth Courts will take a new approach to cases, focused on underlying issues and supporting needs Life The Projector will resume daily screenings at Golden Mile Tower. Is its Cineleisure exit next? Singapore Ex-Tanjong Pagar United footballer charged with assault after Jurong East Stadium match Business Singapore's digital banks finding their niche in areas like SMEs as they narrow losses in 2024 Asia Japan Prime Minister Ishiba to resign by August, Mainichi newspaper reports Life New Pokemon theme park to open in Japan in early 2026 In its statement on July 23, the National Security Department of the police charged the man for carrying out 'with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention', a crime that is punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment on first conviction. The offence is defined in the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, commonly known as Article 23, which was fast-tracked into domestic law in 2024. It has been invoked in addition to the Beijing-imposed National Security Law of 2020, which the authorities used to detain and imprison dozens of leading democracy activists. BLOOMBERG
Mint
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
HK Arrests 18-Year-Old for Writing ‘Seditious Words' in Bathroom
(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong police arrested an 18-year-old on suspicion he left what they called 'seditious' messages in a bathroom, adding to a recent series of national security actions that signal authorities' continued efforts to curb dissent. The man is accused of being 'involved in writing seditious words in a commercial building toilet on three separate occasions,' the government said Wednesday. The content allegedly provoked hatred and disaffection against the government and incited others to defy the law. The move is the latest in a flurry of enforcement actions against perceived threats to the Chinese state in the former British colony. Hong Kong is seeking to burnish its status as a finance hub after its image took a hit from strict pandemic controls and clampdown on political freedoms. Earlier this month police arrested four men for allegedly advocating independence for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. In June, local authorities took their first known joint operation with Beijing's security officers to investigate a case of alleged foreign collusion. Police also banned a Taiwanese video game that month for allegedly calling for armed revolution. In its Wednesday statement, the National Security Department of the police charged the man for carrying out 'with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention,' a crime that's punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment on first conviction. The offense is defined in the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, commonly known as Article 23, which was fast-tracked into domestic law last year. It's been invoked in addition to the Beijing-imposed National Security Law of 2020, which authorities used to detain and imprison dozens of leading democracy activists. The Hong Kong government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. More stories like this are available on
