Press Release

HKCHR strongly condemns the Hong Kong government’s continued abuse of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) and its strategic prosecution of pro-democracy political leaders. We are of the view that the court’s sentencing not only demonstrates its inability to serve as a defense line for human rights and the rule of law, but also accepts the retroactive application of the NSL’s criminal liability to acts that occurred before the law came into effect.

The Centre strongly condemns the heavy prison sentences handed down to the three leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance: Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Chow Hang-tung. In its judgment, the Court explicitly stated that the case ‘involved no violence’ and that the defendants ‘did not propose specific methods of execution.’ Yet, solely because the Alliance possessed broad social influence and conducted advocacy over a long duration, the Court categorized their peaceful, rational advocacy as ‘of a serious nature’ under the National Security Law and imposed harsh sentences.

The Hong Kong Court of First Instance delivered a guilty verdict in the case concerning the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (the “Hong Kong Alliance”), Albert Ho Chun-yan, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Chow Hang-tung, who were charged with incitement to subversion under the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“NSL”). (HCCC 155/2022).

The Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights (HKCHR) today published its submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ahead of the pre-session review of Hong Kong’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report documents a wide range of alleged violations affecting children and youth in Hong Kong since the Committee’s last review in 2013 — a 13-year gap the submission describes as an unprecedented deficit in accountability.

The Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights strongly criticizes the authorities for the arbitrary exercise of police power, utilizing various high-handed measures to obstruct and restrict citizens from exercising their legally protected freedoms of speech and assembly, thereby depriving them of their right to peacefully mourn the victims and express their personal opinions.

In January this year, five UN human rights experts issued a communication to the governments of China and Hong Kong, questioning the ongoing and arbitrary detention of Chow Hang-Tung and Lee Cheuk-Yan by the Hong Kong authorities, and expressing grave concern over their situation.

2026年2月23日，香港高等法院上訴法庭就被控「串謀顛覆國家政權」的民主派初選案12名被告的定罪及判刑上訴作出判決，駁回所有上訴，並確認《香港國安法》第二十二條的詮釋及適用範圍。
本中心對裁決深表關注，認為判決擴張「顛覆」及「非法手段」的涵義，對立法會議員依法行使職權的空間造成深遠影響，並為香港的憲制秩序與公民政治參與帶來寒蟬效應。

The Hong Kong Court of First Instance today handed down sentences in the case against Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and six senior executives of the newspaper involving collusion and sedition charges. Jimmy Lai, convicted of two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of sedition, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, while the six Apple Daily executives received sentences ranging from 6 years and 9 months to 10 years.

On 5 February 2026, the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS), established 68 years ago, announced that it would initiate dissolution procedures. In its statement, the HKFS said that “as the environment has changed, member unions and those working alongside them have in recent years faced increasingly severe pressure,” and decided to “bring it to an end today.”

11月29日，聯署發起人、中大學生關靖豐（Miles），被警察國安處以煽動罪拘捕。有關的拘捕，懷疑是因關靖豐發起「大埔宏福苑火災關注組」聯署有關。該聯署提出四項訴求：持續支援受災居民、成立獨立調查委員會、重新審視工程監管制度，以及全力追究監管疏忽並問責政府官員。截至被捕前，聯署已獲逾萬人簽署。關注組的社交媒體專頁及聯署帖文在關靖豐被捕後，已經關閉。