According to the latest research report by Amnesty International, after five years of implementing the Hong Kong National Security Law, over 80% of convictions made under the law were deemed “not justified”, and these cases should not have been prosecuted.
Amnesty International’s Director for China, Sarah Brooks, stated, “This study demonstrates that the vast majority of individuals charged with national security offenses were well within their legal rights. Other countries should step up and use their influence to urge Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to promptly repeal this law.”
The report was published on June 29th. According to the report, out of 78 concluded cases under the National Security Law, at least 66 cases (84.6%) involved legitimate expression of speech, which should not constitute a conviction according to international standards, with no evidence of the accused using violence or incitement.
The report also noted that when combining cases under Article 23 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law in 2024 (National Security Legislation) and cases previously charged with “inciting subversion”, out of 127 cases, at least 108 cases (85%) were of a similar nature, constituting an abuse of criminal prosecution that fell far short of the threshold for conviction under international standards.
Amnesty International’s data also shows that since June 30, 2020, the Hong Kong government has taken action against 255 individuals under national security-related laws, with an average pre-trial detention period of 11 months per person. Out of 129 national security cases, 89% of the defendants were denied bail by the courts.
Brooks expressed, “This repressive law and its derived national security legislations have severely eroded the core legal safeguards in Hong Kong that have protected human rights and the rule of law in the past. The result is that the space for Hongkongers to express freely has been destroyed, and speaking out may lead to arrest.”
She pointed out that the National Security Law has transformed Hong Kong from a city of inclusivity and open debate to one of suppression and self-censorship. “Our analysis shows that Hong Kong’s national security system not only blatantly violates international human rights standards on paper but is also being abused in practice to suppress dissenting voices and create an atmosphere of fear.”
Brooks urged the Hong Kong government to immediately cease the application of the national security law, at the very least restoring the principle of bail under the presumption of innocence.
“No one should be imprisoned for exercising their freedom of speech,” she emphasized.