Hong Kong: A Portuguese citizen with Hong Kong residency has become the first European imprisoned under China’s National Security Law. This law was widely criticised by human rights organisations.
Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-Chung, was formerly based in the UK and was arrested for posting pro-independence and anti-China content on social media. In 2022, he returned to Hong Kong to visit his family and was convicted in February of ‘secession.’ He was sentenced to five years in prison. ‘Secession’ is the act of promoting Hong Kong’s separation from China, which is considered a crime under the law.
John previously served as the head of a relatively unknown organisation called the Hong Kong Independence Party. During his time with the group, he oversaw their social media accounts on Facebook and other platforms, as well as a website that was registered in the UK.
The group’s primary objective was to lobby for foreign intervention in China’s governance of Hong Kong, particularly following the pro-democracy protests in 2019. As the Chinese government intensified its crackdown on the protests, the group called for the ‘UK and US to send troops to Hong Kong.’
They shared online petitions for foreign intervention and even launched a crowdfunding campaign to create an independent Hong Kong army. However, in 2022, the group’s online pages were shut down. This happened after John returned to Hong Kong to visit his ailing mother and was arrested by authorities.
In February, he confessed to ‘inciting secession.’ During his sentencing trial on Thursday, Judge Ernest Lin stated that John distorted history, vilified China, and urged foreign nations to destroy both Hong Kong and China by political or violent means. He was sentenced to five years, which is the minimum penalty given to ‘serious’ National Security Law cases. This has become the new legal standard set in the territory in recent years.
John is held in custody for 16 months because he was charged under the National Security Law and denied bail. This is standard practice in Hong Kong for those charged under this law, according to legal experts. During John’s detention, Portuguese consular officials and representatives from the European Union were present at the Hong Kong District Court, but Portuguese officials stated that they had been denied access to him.
It was reported that Hong Kongers with dual nationality have been unable to receive foreign consular assistance due to the city’s officials enforcing Chinese nationality rules. This is because Beijing does not allow dual citizenship.
The accused is believed to be the first dual national and foreign citizen who is jailed under Beijing’s National Security Law. This law was imposed in response to the massive street protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, where demonstrators protested China’s increased rule and called for greater democratic rights.
The National Security Law enacted in 2020 criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. More than 290 people were arrested under the law, with 112 convicted. While authorities say it’s necessary to maintain stability, critics argue it crushes political opposition and silences dissent. Hong Kong introduced another security law known as Article 23, which further erodes civil liberties and targets new offences.
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