On Thursday 15 June, the European Parliament adopted by 483 votes to 9, with 42 abstentions, a series of motions for resolutions denouncing the deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, focusing in particular on the case of Jimmy Lai, the press owner, founder of Apple Daily and pro-democracy activist, who has been detained since February 2021 and is facing life imprisonment following his trial scheduled for September 2023.
“The case of Jimmy Lai (...) is an excellent example of the loss of freedoms and the repression of human rights defenders, the media and journalists in Hong Kong”, said Jordi Solé (Greens/EFA, Spanish), one of the authors of the resolution, during a debate on Wednesday 14 June.
The resolution states that since the Chinese regime introduced the National Security Law on 30 June 2020, “fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and the judiciary’s independence in Hong Kong have deteriorated alarmingly”, violating the principle of ‘one country, two systems’.
“The European Union must support Jimmy Lai, because the deterioration of fundamental freedoms and rights in Hong Kong concerns us all. (...) We need to strengthen the EU office and local representation”, stressed Miriam Lexmann (EPP, Slovakian), who also tabled the resolution.
The European Parliament is therefore calling on the Hong Kong government to immediately and unconditionally release Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy representatives and activists and to drop all charges against them.
It then reiterates its call for the EU Council to introduce targeted sanctions under the EU’s comprehensive human rights sanctions regime against Hong Kong official John Lee and other officials responsible for the crackdown in Hong Kong.
The European Commission, represented at the debate by the Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, said it was continuing to monitor the situation in Hong Kong closely.
To view the joint motion for a resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/7i5 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)