German MP says that coronavirus must not be used to justify a crackdown on HK protestors

Eckhard Gnodtke MP, a German CDU politician who represents Lower Saxony, spoke out yesterday in support of the arrested pro-democracy politicians and activists.

He said: “The Hong Kong Government must not use the coronavirus crisis to muzzle democratic politicians, restrict the protest rallies under the cloak of anti-corona-measures, and criminalize advocates and journalists.”

Mr Gnodtke is a participant of the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Parliamentarians Protect Parliamentarians programme, where he has been paired with Sixtus ‘Baggio’ Leung Chung-hang who was disqualified from his seat, and was previously convicted of illegal assembly inside the legislative council. He still awaits the outcome of his appeal.

Gnodtke notes with concern the wave of detentions on April 18th 2020, saying: “The international community will watch with interest the situation for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong and denounce violations of human rights”.