Hong Kong Watch writes to eleven EU Member States to urge them to suspend their extradition treaties with Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China

Following Hong Kong Watch becoming the first foreign organisation to be targeted by Hong Kong’s National Security Law, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive has today written to the eleven EU Member States that continue to have active extradition treaties with either Hong Kong or the People’s Republic of China. They include: Belgium, Portugal, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Cyprus, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, and Greece.

Benedict Rogers, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive, in the letter notes that following being targeted under the National Security Law, he has received personal guidance regarding his safety and the safety of Hong Kong Watch staff if they travel to third countries with active extradition treaties.

In the letter he urges the EU countries in question to review these extradition arrangements and offer “a written assurance to Hong Kong Watch staff, including myself, that we will not face detention, delays, or interference when entering your country whether it is for business or on holiday as a result of this extradition treaty arrangement.”

 Commenting on the letters, Benedict Rogers, said:

“The Chinese Government and their acolytes in the Hong Kong Government continue to abuse these extradition arrangements to threaten human rights defenders and activists in Europe, who are speaking out against the ongoing human rights crackdown in Hong Kong.

Following advice Hong Kong Watch has received from the UK Government, we are today writing to eleven EU countries to urge them to review their extradition treaties and offer a written assurance that Hong Kong Watch staff will not face detention, delays, or interference entering their countries.

It is time these countries implemented the EU Council conclusions from July 2020 and followed the subsequent EU Parliament resolutions and suspended these extradition arrangements, which should be a source of growing embarrassment for the governments in question.”

香港監察致函敦促11歐盟成員國立即暫停與香港或中國引渡協議

香港監察早前成為首個被香港當局以國安法針對的外國組織。香港監察今天致函 11 個仍與香港或中國有效的引渡協議的歐盟成員國，敦促他們立即暫停相關協議。這些國家包括比利時、葡萄牙、捷克、意大利、法國、塞浦路斯、西班牙、保加利亞、羅馬尼亞、立陶宛和希臘。

香港監察行政總監羅傑斯在信中指出，他在成為國安法目標後曾經接受人身安全指導，了解他及香港監察員工在前往與中港有引渡協議的國家時所面對的潛在危險。

他在信中敦促上述歐盟成員國重新審查這些引渡協議，並向香港監察提供書面保證，確保組織員工入境該國時不會因與中港間的引渡協議而面臨拘留、拖延或阻撓。

香港監察行政總監羅傑斯表示：

「中共政府及其香港政府的爪牙繼續濫用引渡協議來威脅為香港發聲的人權倡議者和社運人士。

根據從英國政府得到的建議，香港監察今天致函 11 個歐盟成員國，敦促他們重新審查與中港間的引渡協議，並提供書面保證，確保香港監察員工入境時不會面臨拘留、拖延或阻撓。

現在是這些歐盟成員國家執行歐盟理事會 2020年 7月總結，並遵循隨後歐洲議會的決議，暫停與中港間引渡協議的時機。」