Hong Kong Watch Briefing on Human Rights Developments: March 2026

This briefing describes developments in Hong Kong in March 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.

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Executive Summary

March 2026 marked another intensification of Hong Kong’s human rights crackdown under the National Security Law.

A new offence was introduced criminalising refusal to provide passwords or decryption assistance to police in national security cases, punishable by up to 12 months in prison and a HK$100,000 fine. Lawyers, doctors, and journalists are now compelled to comply, eliminating a critical layer of confidentiality and placing travellers at risk of compelled device access.

Police arrested the owner and staff of Book Punch, an independent bookshop, for selling publications deemed seditious, including a commercially published biography of Jimmy Lai by Mark Clifford. The case sets a precedent for holding retailers criminally liable for the books they sell.

High-profile NSL trials continued. The Hong Kong Alliance trial entered its defence phase amid restrictions on expert witnesses. Jimmy Lai confirmed he will not appeal his 20-year sentence, while two former Apple Daily editors appealed their 10-year terms. Authorities also banned the remaining Apple Daily companies. Sedition prosecutions extended to social media, with a retiree jailed for Facebook posts and a woman given a suspended term for reposting election boycott messages.

Civil society and education faced further curtailment. The 53-year-old Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union formally dissolved. Students and teachers took part in a National Security Education Study Tour to Beijing and Nanjing, including non-Chinese-speaking participants. Independent film awards resumed under NSL compliance clauses, reinforcing self-censorship.

Transnational repression continued. Italy expelled Chinese nationals for spying on dissidents and a UK trial opened against government officials for suspected shadow policing.

香港監察香港人權狀況簡報：2026年3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3月香港的事態發展。

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摘要

2026年3月，香港根據《國安法》對人權的打壓再次加劇。

香港當局修訂《國安法》實施細則，當中包括警方可要求涉嫌干犯危害國家安全罪行的人士提供密碼或解碼方法，拒絕遵從者最高可被判處監禁一年及罰款10萬港元。律師、醫生和記者現被迫遵守規定，這有損重要的保密原則，旅客亦面臨被強制檢取電子設備的風險。

警方拘捕獨立書店「一拳書館」店長及店員，指涉嫌出售具煽動意圖的刊物，包括祈福德（Mark Clifford）撰寫的《黎智英傳》。案件開創先例，零售商現要對所售書籍承擔刑事責任。

備受關注的國安案件審訊持續。支聯會案進入辯方舉證階段，鄒幸彤早前申請傳召專家證人被拒。黎智英確認不會就20年監禁刑期提出上訴，兩名前《蘋果日報》編輯則分別就10年刑期提出上訴。當局亦禁止其餘《蘋果日報》相關公司運作。煽動罪檢控延伸至社交媒體，一名退休男子因在Facebook發文而被判入獄，一名婦女因轉載杯葛選舉帖文而被判緩刑。

公民社會和教育受到進一步箝制。有53年歷史的香港教育專業人員協會正式解散。學生和老師前往北京和南京參加國家安全教育參訪團，當中包括非華語學生。「ifva獨立短片及影像媒體比賽」復辦，惟新增規則，要求參賽者保證作品不違反《國安法》任何條文，加強自我審查。

跨國鎮壓仍然持續。意大利當局驅逐中國公民出境，指控他們涉嫌從事間諜活動，監視異見人士；倫敦經貿辦國安案開審，控方形容涉案人士在英國土地為香港從事「影子執法行動」。

Photo: Geoffrey Moffett on Unsplash