Hong Kong Watch Briefing on Human Rights Developments: January 2026

This briefing describes developments in Hong Kong in January 2026 focusing on the rapid deterioration of human rights in the city following the imposition of the National Security Law and the passage of Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Click here to read the full briefing.

Executive Summary

Hong Kong Watch’s January 2026 Human Rights Briefing documents a month defined by landmark court proceedings, heightened international scrutiny, and the continued suppression of civil liberties.

Mitigation hearings for Jimmy Lai and eight co-defendants commenced on 12 January, with his defence highlighting his deteriorating health. The HKSAR government mounted an aggressive media campaign, condemning the BBC and writing to The Wall Street Journal over their coverage of Lai’s treatment. The European Parliament passed an urgent resolution on 22 January condemning Lai’s conviction, prompting ‘strong dissatisfaction’ from Beijing.

At the Legal Year opening on 19 January, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung dismissed rule-of-law criticism as ‘simplistic assertions.’ The national security trial of Tiananmen vigil organisers Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho opened on 22 January – 52 months after their arrest. Ho pleaded guilty; Chow and Lee denied the charges.

UK Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to Beijing from 28–31 January – the first by a British leader since 2018 – concluded without progress on Lai’s release or human rights commitments. The UK also approved a Chinese mega-embassy at the old Royal Mint site, drawing condemnation over espionage concerns.

On the fifth anniversary of the BNO visa scheme, Hong Kong Watch called for BNO holders to be exempted from new settlement requirements threatening their path to citizenship.

Photo: Pakkin Leung, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons