Latest news with #ExtraditionAct2003
HKFP
01-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
UK to ‘never allow' political extradition of Hongkongers after alarm over law changes
The UK security minister has said the country would 'never' allow Hongkongers to be extradited for political reasons, after activists raised alarm that changes to an extradition act could put them at risk. Dan Jarvis, the UK's security chief, said on Wednesday that there had been 'inaccurate' reporting on modifications being made to the country's extradition laws. Last month, he said the UK was planning to remove Hong Kong from the UK's Extradition Act 2003, as it no longer had a formal extradition arrangement with the city after the UK scrapped the treaty in response to Beijing imposing a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020. In place of that, the UK would cooperate with Hong Kong on 'the case-by-case ad hoc basis available for non-treaty partners,' Jarvis added. In response, UK-based advocacy group Hong Kong Watch said the proposal could give rise to 'opaque extradition cooperation outside the protections of a formal treaty-based system.' Conservative Party lawmaker Alicia Kearns wrote a letter to Jarvis expressing concern about the 'transnational repression' faced by Hong Kong democracy activists and questioning how the UK could protect them from Hong Kong authorities. In response, Jarvis said on Wednesday that the change – removing Hong Kong from the UK's Extradition Act 2003 – simply 'formalises the severing of ties between the British and Hong Kong extradition systems.' 'The government will never allow a situation where [Hongkongers] or any other nationality is extradited for politically motivated purposes, he said, adding that UK courts have 'extensive powers' and could bar extradition if it is determined that a request is political. Arrest warrants Since Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests and unrest, scores of activists have relocated to other countries – with the UK being one of the most popular destinations. Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants and bounties of up to HK$1 million for 19 overseas activists accused of breaching the national security law. Some of them are now based in the UK, including activists Nathan Law, Finn Lau, and Chloe Cheung. Last week, police issued a new round of warrants for 15 activists, plus a HK$200,000 bounty each for information that could lead to their arrests. Police cited their involvement in a political group deemed subversive by Hong Kong authorities. Jarvis said the UK government 'stands resolutely' with Hongkongers who have relocated to the UK, and that he was 'deeply concerned by the news of further bounties having been issued.' 'Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated,' he said. In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city.
Nikkei Asia
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
UK extradition change due to China 'repression' concerns, FM says
China David Lammy calls Hong Kong police arrest warrants 'totally unacceptable' U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy speaks at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on July 26. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) SOPHIE MAK SYDNEY -- U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy suggested that a controversial government amendment to existing legislation that would potentially lead to limited extraditions of Hong Kong residents in Britain will actually enhance overall protections, as he lashed out at police in the Chinese territory for seeking fresh arrest warrants. In an address at Sydney's Lowy Institute on Saturday, Lammy said the government is removing Hong Kong from its Extradition Act 2003 because it is "hugely concerned" by what he called China's "transnational repression."
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK condemns Hong Kong cash offer for help in arresting activists
The UK has condemned the latest cash offer from Hong Kong authorities for people who help in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain. In a joint statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the move as "another example of transnational repression". People are being offered between $25,000 (HK$200,000) and $125,000 for information leading to the arrest of 19 individuals, all of whom are pro-democracy activists living abroad. China has denounced as "interference" criticism over this type of appeal, which it has made three times previously. The 19 people are accused of violating Beijing's national security law imposed in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for months. The amounts on offer vary depending on the individual. Among the highest offers on the list are those for Choi Ming-da and Fok Ka-chi, who Hong Kong police said operated a social media channel named "Tuesdayroad". Politician Nathan Law – who had been a lawmaker on the Legislative Council of Hong Kong – and activist and commentator Yuan Gong-Yi also appear on the lists. The first such rewards were issued in July and December 2023. They targeted Mr Law - who told the BBC that his life became more dangerous after a bounty was announced - and Simon Cheng, a former UK consulate employee detained in 2019 in a high-profile case. The third series of rewards targeted six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada, including Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group. A special visa scheme introduced in 2021 saw around 150,000 Hong Kong residents move to the UK, according to the Home Office. In November last year a Hong Kong court sentenced dozens of pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security trial. In their statement in response to the latest bounty, Ms Cooper and Mr Lammy said: "This government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. "We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously." Their joint statement added: "The UK is committed to human rights, the rule of law, and the safety of all individuals in the UK. "That's why we have taken further steps to complete the severing of ties between the UK and Hong Kong extradition systems by removing Hong Kong from the Extradition Act 2003." Who are the activists jailed in Hong Kong's largest national security trial? HK bans 'seditious' mobile game about fighting communists Silenced and erased, Hong Kong's decade of protest is now a defiant memory
MTV Lebanon
26-07-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
UK condemns Hong Kong cash offer for help in arresting activists
The UK has condemned the latest cash offer from Hong Kong authorities for people who help in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain. In a joint statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the move as "another example of transnational repression". People are being offered between $25,000 (HK$200,000) and $125,000 for information leading to the arrest of 19 individuals, all of whom are pro-democracy activists living abroad. China has denounced as "interference" criticism over this type of appeal, which it has made three times previously. The 19 people are accused of violating Beijing's national security law imposed in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for months. The amounts on offer vary depending on the individual. Among the highest offers on the list are those for Choi Ming-da and Fok Ka-chi, who Hong Kong police said operated a social media channel named "Tuesdayroad". Politician Nathan Law – who had been a lawmaker on the Legislative Council of Hong Kong – and activist and commentator Yuan Gong-Yi also appear on the lists. The first such rewards were issued in July and December 2023. They targeted Nathan Law - who told the BBC that his life became more dangerous after a bounty was announced - and Simon Cheng, a former UK consulate employee detained in 2019 in a high-profile case. The third series of rewards targeted six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada, including Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group. A special visa scheme introduced in 2021 saw around 150,000 Hong Kong residents move to the UK, according to the Home Office. In November last year a Hong Kong court sentenced dozens of pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security trial. In their statement in response to the latest bounty, Ms Cooper and Mr Lammy said "this government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously." Their joint statement added: "The UK is committed to human rights, the rule of law, and the safety of all individuals in the UK. That's why we have taken further steps to complete the severing of ties between the UK and Hong Kong extradition systems by removing Hong Kong from the Extradition Act 2003."
Epoch Times
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
UK Opposition Questions Government's Plan to Resume Extradition Arrangement With Hong Kong
The UK government is facing pressure from lawmakers to abandon its plan to resume the extradition arrangement with Hong Kong over concerns that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could exploit the system to target dissidents. Under the UK's Extradition Act 2003, Hong Kong is designated as a category-2 territory, meaning the home secretary must issue a certificate upon receiving a valid request for extradition.
