On December 17, 2025, the International Amnesty Organization released a new research report detailing the accounts of several former prisoners in Hong Kong who described inhumane and degrading treatment during their incarceration. Among them were “Jays” Yim Yiu-sing, a webcaster, and pro-democracy activist, and former Legislative Council member Eddie Chu. They alleged that correctional officers pressured them to “voluntarily” agree to solitary confinement.
The organization concluded that the conditions in Hong Kong prisons for inmates amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, possibly constituting torture. They called on authorities to urgently investigate the situation in Hong Kong correctional facilities.
The report cited testimonies from nine former inmates who were imprisoned between 2016 and 2023 in 11 different prisons across Hong Kong. They reported experiencing physical violence, prolonged solitary confinement, poor sanitation conditions, and dangerously high temperatures during the summer.
Yim Yiu-sing shared his experience stating that when he was first incarcerated, correctional officers took him into a room and pressured him to sign a document “voluntarily” agreeing to solitary confinement. He described being kept alone in a small cell for over 22 hours a day, with limited sunlight exposure during the one-hour outdoor time within a fenced area.
Eddie Chu, a former lawmaker and current member of the International Amnesty Organization’s Hong Kong Overseas Branch, was detained at Lai Chi Kok Reception Center in 2022. He mentioned being asked to sign a similar document “voluntarily” requesting solitary confinement.
According to the International Amnesty Organization, Hong Kong’s Prison Rules outline two types of solitary confinement, both of which violate international standards. Rule 63 allows for punitive solitary confinement for a maximum of 28 days for disciplinary offenses, while Rule 68B permits administrative solitary confinement for initial 72 hours (isolation from other inmates) and can be extended up to a month for vague non-punitive purposes.
One former leader of the “Student Localism” group, detained at Pik Uk Correctional Institution from October 2020 to April 2022, stated he was subjected to solitary confinement three times based on Rule 63, which he believed was retaliatory rather than lawful discipline.
He recalled an incident during a visit where he told a friend that he was punished with over three hours of marching drills because the correctional officers found them too noisy at night. His friend shared this on social media, leading to a search of his cell where an unrelated bookmark was found. Subsequently, he was sent to solitary confinement as punishment.
The revised Prison Rules of July 2025 now allow for solitary confinement based on “maintaining national security” under Rule 68B. Interviewees expressed concerns that solitary confinement could be used against inmates detained for “political” offenses.
Another inmate detained at Pik Uk, Peter (pseudonym), involved in protest-related offenses, mentioned receiving eight slaps on his first day for not addressing correctional officers correctly and shared instances of being hit for minor infractions like untidy bedding or not standing straight.
He recounted a particularly harsh incident where he was made to memorize the prison rules and suddenly ordered to recite them in reverse. For every mistake, he received a blow to his shins, leaving them bruised and purple.
The International Amnesty Organization referenced past media reports in Hong Kong, including one from 2017 interviewing 50 former juvenile detainees who described extreme physical and psychological abuse by correctional officers, including beatings, forced drinking of urine, and consuming feces. In 2020, several young inmates were reportedly slapped by a correctional officer for singing protest songs.
Yim Yiu-sing, who spent approximately 20 months in Chi Ma Wan Correctional Institution in Chek Lap Kok in 2021, spoke of enduring two summers there. He described the prison cells during summer as “ovens,” with temperatures exceeding 40°C.
He explained the nightly ritual of queuing in the toilet of the mess hall to douse themselves with water to cool down, only to find themselves already drenched upon returning to their cells. Though each cell had ceiling fans, they were ineffective as they were enclosed in wire mesh, preventing any airflow, making them “completely useless.” In addition, inmates were required to be naked in their cells, even prohibited from wearing underwear, and he recalled hearing cries of pain and some inmates needing hospitalization due to the intense heat.
Amy (pseudonym), who was held in solitary confinement at Lowu Correctional Institution in the summer of 2023, noted that her cell had no windows, leading to heat rashes. Even the correctional officers themselves were completely soaked in sweat.
Tommy (pseudonym), detained in the Lai Chi Kok Reception Center in 2021, mentioned being unable to sleep due to cockroaches crawling on him. Eddie Chu, also detained there in the same year, described the center as “extremely dirty, beyond imagination,” with dust piling up in columns and an unbearable stench in the prison hospital due to non-functioning toilets.
Sarah Brooks, Deputy Director for the Asia-Pacific region of the International Amnesty Organization, stated that the accounts provided by former inmates revealed a pattern of systemic abuse in Hong Kong prisons, causing severe physical and psychological harm. Authorities must immediately investigate these allegations and hold those responsible for human rights violations in prisons accountable.
She emphasized that subjecting inmates to extreme heat, unsanitary conditions, and violent punishments constitutes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and possibly torture under international law. The Hong Kong government must put an end to these human rights abuses and ensure accountability for those responsible for violating the rights of inmates.
The organization urged the Hong Kong authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to address the documented human rights violations, including conducting necessary investigations and reforms to prevent further violations of inmates’ rights.
They called on the Hong Kong government to implement the recommendations made by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture in 2016, which include:
1) Establishing an independent body authorized to conduct unannounced inspections of all detention facilities effectively.
2) Shortening the maximum duration of solitary confinement and restricting it as a last resort, with as brief a time as possible. Clear and specific criteria should be established for decisions on solitary confinement, detailing the behavior, types, and maximum duration.
3) Compiling and regularly publishing comprehensive categorized data on the use of solitary confinement, including related suicide attempts and self-harm incidents.
The Correctional Services Department responded to the organization’s findings by vehemently refuting the allegations. They stated that they have a “zero tolerance” policy towards physical violence and only implement solitary confinement under strict compliance with the law, maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and implementing extensive measures to tackle the effects of hot weather.