Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoGENEVA / HONG KONG SECURITY LAW
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: GENEVA / HONG KONG SECURITY LAW
TRT: 1:14
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 NOVEMBER 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des nations
2. Various shots, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We, as the UN human rights office along with the UN special procedures have repeatedly brought the cases of the Hong Kong 47 and of Jimmy Lai to the attention of the Government of China, including directly with the Hong Kong authorities. We are gravely concerned by the use of the Security Laws and the breadth to criminalise conduct protected by human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Beyond the large numbers of accused directly impacted by criminal procedures, these laws had major chilling effects on others in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Republic (SAR), including the media, human rights defenders, lawyers, students, academia, and artists.”
4. Wide shot, press briefing room
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) is “gravely concerned” by the use of the National Security Law to convict and impose harsh sentences on 45 people in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today, the Office’s Spokesperson said.
Speaking to reporters today (19 Nov) in Geneva, OHCHR Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said that his office has “repeatedly brought the cases of the Hong Kong 47 and of Jimmy Lai to the attention of the Government of China, including directly with the Hong Kong authorities.”
Laurence continued, “Beyond the large numbers of accused directly impacted by criminal proceedings, these laws have major chilling effects on others in Hong Kong Special Administrative Republic (HKSAR), including the media, legislators, human rights defenders, lawyers, students, academia, bloggers and artists, and other parts of civil society.”
In a statement, the High Commissioner called for these convictions and sentences to be carefully reviewed by appellate courts against the international human rights obligations binding upon HKSAR. All cases not fully meeting these standards should be quashed.
The UN Human Rights Office, UN Special Procedures and UN human rights treaty bodies have repeatedly called on the HKSAR authorities to repeal the National Security Law. The High Commissioner, again, urges the authorities to repeal the law, and, in the meantime, suspend its application. Any national security legislation must remain clear in scope and definition, and only permit restrictions to human rights that are strictly necessary for a legitimate purpose, and proportionate.
