EU parliament calls for sanctions over jailing of Hong Kong activists

Members of the European Parliament have urged the European Commission to utilize the EU's human rights sanctions regime against Hong Kong and Chinese officials following the imprisonment of three activists for organizing vigils in remembrance of victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The jail terms, ranging from seven years, were recently handed down to Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, Chow Hang-tung, 41, and Albert Ho, 74, in Hong Kong.

These sentences sparked widespread condemnation internationally. During a meeting, the MEPs overwhelmingly supported a non-binding resolution condemning the sentences, which were issued under a national security law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020, following extensive pro-democracy protests. Hong Kong and Macau are the only regions on Chinese territory that permit public mourning for those killed on June 4, 1989, when Beijing deployed troops and tanks to suppress protests advocating for political reform in Tiananmen Square.

However, public commemoration has been largely prohibited in the city in recent years. The MEPs called on the European Commission to employ the EU's human rights sanctions regime against all responsible Hong Kong and Chinese officials. Furthermore, they suggested that the commission should begin working towards suspending Hong Kong's status in the World Trade Organization, where it currently holds official membership, separate from China.