Hong Kong Watch Briefing on Human Rights Developments: September 2026
This briefing describes developments in Hong Kong in September 2026 focusing on the rapid deterioration of human rights in the city following the imposition of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the passage of Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
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Executive Summary
September 2026 was defined by the sentencing of the Hong Kong Alliance leaders: on 11 September, barrister Chow Hang-tung received seven years and three months and former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan seven years for “inciting subversion” under the National Security Law, while Albert Ho, who pleaded guilty, received five years and two months. The European Parliament condemned the sentences by 459 votes to 12 and called for sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee. Separately, Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment dominated the human rights agenda around Xi Jinping’s 23-25 September state visit to Washington. Trump said he raised the case with Xi but disclosed no outcome, and the Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act (S.5404) was introduced in the Senate.
Other rulings this month included Joshua Wong pleading guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces, an offence carrying up to life imprisonment, and the Court of Appeal upholding the convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen, Margaret Ng, and three other 612 Fund trustees, who will now seek to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal. Prosecutions also reached vulnerable defendants: two men with autism were jailed for 38 and 36 months over a Taiwan-based independence group, and a 61-year-old woman diagnosed with psychosis and delusional disorder was refused bail and will stand trial under Article 23 on 14 October.
Sedition enforcement extended to journalists and commemorations. Eight people have now been arrested over the Prince Edward commemoration, including Boom News founder Tang Ho-wing, the first publicly known arrest of a journalist for sedition under Article 23. The Five-Year Plan and final Policy Address of John Lee’s term further embedded national security and patriotic education, including extending student ambassador training to all publicly funded schools. A leaked Cantonese ban at Good Hope School was withdrawn after public backlash, and the fate of the Pillar of Shame remains unresolved.
Abroad, pro-Beijing crowds assaulted protesters during Xi’s Washington visit, with Hong Kong activist Joey Siu among those targeted. Hong Kong-born legislative aide Ho Yin Mo was detained by ICE over an alleged visa overstay, despite friends saying he has a pending asylum case. Meanwhile, a cross-party group of 27 MPs, peers and rights leaders urged the British Prime Minister to take a stand on Hong Kong, and the European Commission’s annual report noted a “continued deterioration of fundamental freedoms” in Hong Kong.
香港監察香港人權狀況簡報：2026年9月
香港人權狀況在《國家安全法》實施及《維護國家安全條例》（俗稱「23條」）通過後急速惡化，這份簡報記錄了2026年9月香港的事態發展。
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摘要
2026年9月，支聯會案宣判：9月11日，大律師鄒幸彤因《國安法》下「煽動顛覆國家政權」罪被判監7年3個月，前立法會議員李卓人被判監7年，認罪的何俊仁則被判監5年2個月。歐洲議會以459票贊成、12票反對譴責判刑，並呼籲制裁香港特首李家超。另一方面，中國國家主席習近平於9月23日至25日對美國展開國事訪問，黎智英被囚成為人權議程的焦點。美國總統特朗普稱已向習近平提出案件，但未透露結果。參議院提出《黎智英香港政治犯問責法案》，編號為S.5404。
本月其他裁決包括：黃之鋒承認「串謀勾結外國勢力」罪，最高可被判處終身監禁。上訴庭維持對陳日君樞機、吳靄儀及其餘三名「612基金」信託人的定罪，吳靄儀表示會申請上訴至終審法院。弱勢人士亦被檢控：兩名患自閉症的男子因參與在台灣成立的推動「港獨」組織，分別被判監38個月和36個月。一名疑患思覺失調和妄想症的61歲女子被控「23條」下「明知而發布或展示具煽動意圖的刊物」罪，申請保釋被拒，將於10月14日受審。
煽動罪的執法行動延伸至記者和悼念活動。目前已有八人因悼念「8.31太子站襲擊事件」被捕，當中包括網媒「Boom News 爆炸頭」創辦人鄧浩榮，這是首次公開已知有記者因「23條」煽動罪被捕。李家超的《五年規劃》和本屆任期內最後一份《施政報告》進一步鞏固國家安全及愛國教育，包括將《憲法》和《基本法》學生校園大使培訓推廣至所有公帑資助中小學。網上流傳德望學校禁止學生使用廣東話拍畢業片，引起公眾爭議，校方最後宣布撤回指引。「國殤之柱」的命運依然懸而未決。
海外方面，習近平訪問華盛頓期間，親北京人士襲擊示威者，香港社運人士邵嵐是目標之一。香港出生的美國州眾議員助理毛皓延因涉嫌簽證涉嫌逾期居留，被美國移民及海關執法局（ICE）拘留，他的朋友指他正等待政治庇護申請結果。另外，27位跨黨派英國上下議院議員及人權領袖促請英國首相就香港問題採取立場；歐盟委員會的年度報告指出香港「基本自由持續惡化」。
Photo: Stand News, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons