{"id":27524,"date":"2025-10-30T17:53:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T09:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/?p=27524"},"modified":"2026-04-25T00:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T16:36:05","slug":"joint-ngo-letter-to-demand-immediate-and-unconditional-release-of-chow-hang-tung-and-lee-cheuk-yan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/joint-ngo-letter-to-demand-immediate-and-unconditional-release-of-chow-hang-tung-and-lee-cheuk-yan\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint NGO letter to demand immediate and unconditional release of Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We, the undersigned 92 civil society organisations and individuals, call on the governments of the G7 and EU\/EEA members to exert diplomatic pressure, both bilaterally and multilaterally, on the Hong Kong government to drop all charges and release Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan immediately and unconditionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are appealing for international attention to their impending trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chow, a distinguished barrister and an Amnesty International<\/em>-recognized prisoner of conscience, and Lee, a prominent labour leader and fellow pro-democracy activist, have been unjustly imprisoned for over 1,500 days simply for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both activists are defending their charges of inciting subversion of state power under the 2020 National Security Law (NSL) for their roles in the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China<\/em> (Hong Kong Alliance). These charges carry a maximum penalty of ten years\u2019 imprisonment. Their trial scheduled to begin in November 2025 is now further delayed two more months without providing any reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For thirty years, the Hong Kong Alliance had organized the world\u2019s largest annual commemoration of victims of the military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests on the 4 June 1989. The peaceful, student-led protests advocated for political and economic reforms, and an end to government corruption in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chinese Red Cross estimated that 2,600 protesters and Beijing citizens lost their lives in the crackdown. Since 1990, hundreds of thousands have gathered in Hong Kong\u2019s Victoria Park for an annual candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the massacre. 1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is imperative that on the eve of their trial \u2013 set to commence on 3 November 2025 \u2013 we stand united to demand justice and freedom for Chow and Lee. Their involvement with the Hong Kong Alliance, as well as their rightful calls for the Chinese authorities to disclose the truth about the crackdown and to accept responsibility for the loss of lives, must not serve as grounds for persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We call upon the governments of the Group of Seven (G7) and member states of the European Union (EU)\/European Economic Area (EEA) to closely monitor the trial and exert diplomatic pressure, both bilaterally and multilaterally, on the Hong Kong government to immediately release Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, and to drop all criminal charges against them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also call on the governments of the G7 and EU\/EEA member states to utilise international human rights instruments and mechanisms to ensure accountability for the Hong Kong government and officials responsible for human rights violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/department-national-defence\/services\/military-history\/history-heritage\/past-operations\/asia-pacific\/china-1989.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Download joint statement<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joint Statement Co-signed by<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Amnesty International
Canada-Hong Kong Link \u6e2f\u52a0\u806f
Toronto Association for Democracy in China \u591a\u502b\u591a\u652f\u806f\u6703
Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement (VSSDM) \u6e29\u652f\u806f
Action Free Hong Kong Montreal
Asian Canadian Labour Alliance
Australia Hong Kong Link
Bay Area Friends of Tibet
Bonham Tree Aid
Chinese Canadian Concern Group on CCP\u2019s Human Rights Violations
Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation
Democracy for Hong Kong (D4HK)
Freedom House
Freiheit f\u00fcr Hongkong e.V.
Friends of Hong Kong (Calgary) \u9999\u6e2f\u4e4b\u53cb (\u5361\u52a0\u5229)
Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete-Portugal
Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights \u9999\u6e2f\u4eba\u6b0a\u8cc7\u8a0a\u4e2d\u5fc3
Hong Kong Committee in Norway \u632a\u5a01\u9999\u6e2f\u6587\u5316\u5354\u6703
Hong Kong Democracy Council
Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles \u6d1b\u6749\u78ef\u9999\u6e2f\u8ad6\u58c7
Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor
Hong Kong Watch (HKW)
Hongkonger in Deutschland e.V. \u9999\u6e2f\u4eba\u5728\u5fb7\u570b\u5354\u6703
Human Rights in China
Human Rights Watch
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
June Fourth Sparks
Lady Liberty Hong Kong (LLHK)
Milk Tea Alliance
Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People\u2019s Lawyers (IAPL)
Movement for a Democratic China (Calgary) \u4e2d\u570b\u6c11\u4e3b\u4fc3\u9032\u6703 (\u5361\u52a0\u5229)
Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
New York for Hong Kong (NY4HK)
NGO DEI
Northern California Hong Kong Club \u5317\u52a0\u5dde\u9999\u6e2f\u6703
Re-Water
Regional Tibetan Youth Congress \u2013 Toronto
Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong
The European Hong Kong Diaspora Alliance \u6b50\u6d32\u9999\u6e2f\u4eba\u806f\u76df
The Tibet Support Committee, Denmark
The Vancouver Hong Kong Forum
Tibet Solidarity
Tibet Support Group Ireland
Toronto Hong Kong Parent Group
Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
World Hong Kong Forum
\u2003
Fernando Cheung \u5f35\u8d85\u96c4, former Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong \u524d\u9999\u6e2f\u7acb\u6cd5\u6703\u8b70\u54e1
Alan Lau, Journalist and filmmaker
Alex Neve, OC, Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
Andrea Melody Chuh, MPhil\/PhD student, University College London
Anna Cheung, Professor of Biology, Manhattanville University
Anthony Kin Kwok Tong
Benjamin Fung, Professor, McGill University
Benson Wong \u9ec3\u5049\u570b
Brian Kern
Charles Burton
Chi Kwan Ho
Ching Cheong \u7a0b\u7fd4, HK journalist who was sentenced to 5 years but released after 3 years due to strong international pressures
Chung Kai Sin \u55ae\u4ef2\u5055, former Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong \u524d\u9999\u6e2f\u7acb\u6cd5\u6703\u8b70\u54e1
Diana Lary, professor emeritus, University of British Columbia
Dick Chan \u9673\u4e16\u8d85, Founding Chair, Toronto Association for Democracy in China
Eliza Chandler, Associate Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Fengsuo Zhou \u5468\u92d2\u9396, Student leader of 1989 Tiananmen Democracy Movement
Hsuan-Yi Li \u674e\u5ba3\u5100, Taiwan Democracy \u81fa\u7063\u6c11\u4e3b
Jan Wong, journalist and author
Jeremy Brown, Professor of History, Simon Fraser University
John Cartwright, Past President, Toronto & York Region Labour Council
Josephine Chiu-Duke, Professor Emerita, Asian Studies, University of British Columbia
K.W. Chung \u937e\u528d\u83ef
Ka Tat Tsang, professor at The University of Toronto
Ken Moffatt, Professor Social Work, Toronto Metropolitan University
Kevin Yam \u4efb\u5efa\u5cf0, former lawyer
Lee Wing Tat \u674e\u6c38\u9054, former Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong \u524d\u9999\u6e2f\u7acb\u6cd5\u6703\u8b70\u54e1
Leo K. Shin, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Lily Chang, Secretary Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress
Maria Cheung, Professor Emerita, University of Manitoba
Marie Clarke Walker, Past Chair of ILO Worker Committee and the Women\u2019s Committee, International Trade Union Congress (ITUC)
Mr. Nam-Kiu Tsing
Ms Eli Wakamatsu
Nathan Law \u7f85\u51a0\u8070, former Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong \u524d\u9999\u6e2f\u7acb\u6cd5\u6703\u8b70\u54e1
Patrick Poon
Penghsuan Lee, Chair, Hong Kong Outlanders
Prof. Gill H. Boehringer IAPL Australian branch
Prof. Stuart Russell (retired), Macquarie University School of Law, Sydney Australia
Rev. Chu Yiu-Ming \u6731\u8000\u660e\u7267\u5e2b, Former Executive Member of Hong Kong Alliance
Ricker Choi, pianist, artist, activist
Rowena He, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution \/ Stanford University
Sushil Handa, Coordonnateur Chine, Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
Ted Hui \u8a31\u667a\u5cef, former Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong \u524d\u9999\u6e2f\u7acb\u6cd5\u6703\u8b70\u54e1
The Very Rev. Richard S. Soo, S.J.
Wang Dan \u738b\u4e39, Student leader of 1989 Tiananmen Democracy Movement
Yi Lian \u7df4\u4e59\u931a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We, the undersigned 92 civil society organisations and individuals, call on the governments of the G7 and EU\/EEA members to exert diplomatic pressure, both bilaterally and multilaterally, on the Hong Kong government to drop all charges and release Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan immediately and unconditionally. We are appealing for international attention to their impending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":27522,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":0,"recipients":"","recipients_refresh":"","recipients_refreshed":"","_hero_title":"","_hero_content":"","_hero_cta_text":"","_hero_cta_link":"","_hero_alignment":"","_hero_background":"","_hero_size":"","_hero_show":"","_hero_type":"","_hero_embed":"","_hero_video_id":0,"_hero_hide_image_caption":true,"_hero_hide_image_copyright":false,"_nav_style":"","_disable_share_icons":false,"_disable_sidebar":false,"_display_author_info":false,"_hide_featured_image":false,"_hide_featured_image_caption":true,"_maximize_post_content":false,"_reduce_content_width":false,"_sidebar_id":0,"_stretch_thumbnail":false,"byline_context":"","byline_entity":"","byline_is_author":false,"disable_related_content":false,"download_id":0,"download_text":"","show_published_date":true,"show_updated_date":true,"term_slider":"","amnesty_index_number":"","document_ref":"","amnesty_updated":"","amnesty_umbraco_data":"","footnotes":""},"category":[1662],"location":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-27524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hongkong-news"],"datePosted":"October 30, 2025","mlpRelationships":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=27524"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=27524"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amnestyhk.org\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=27524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}