The New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa (New Zealand Law Society) notes with concern the announcement that the Hong Kong SAR Police have recently issued arrest warrants for eight individuals living overseas, including two lawyers, and have placed bounties of HK$1million on each of their heads for information that would lead to their arrest.
The subjects of these arrest warrants include prominent pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers and lawyers wanted in Hong Kong for alleged offences under the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the Hong Kong National Security Law).
The efforts to arrest and detain individuals exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and expression are concerning and inconsistent with Hong Kong’s international obligations.
The New Zealand Law Society notes other international legal associations have also condemned these actions.[1]
The Law Society also notes that in 2022, the UN Human Rights Committee called to bring Hong Kong’s laws and practices, including the Hong Kong National Security Law, into full conformity with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.[2]
The New Zealand Law Society will continue to monitor developments in Hong Kong.
[1] Law Council of Australia Law Council concern regarding arrest warrants issued for Hong Kong pro-democracy activists - Law Council of Australia; International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institution Hong Kong: IBAHRI expresses concern over arrest warrants for overseas pro-democracy figures | International Bar Association (ibanet.org); Commonwealth Lawyers Association Statement concerning Hong Kong - News - CLA (commonwealthlawyers.com); LAWASIA Statement - Hong Kong - July 2023.pdf (lawasia.asn.au)
[2] see UN Doc CCPR/C/CHN-HKG/CO/4 https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CCPR%2FC%2FCHN-HKG%2FCO%2F4&Lang=en .