This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. legislators called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address the alleged mistreatment of political prisoners in Hong Kong by issuing a report on prison conditions and taking additional diplomatic actions. The call was made through a letter signed by Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), who are the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, along with Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the Chair and Cochair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
The letter highlighted concerns about Jimmy Lai's treatment, including solitary confinement, restricted sunlight access, and denial of independent medical care. It also referenced reports of physical and sexual abuse in at least one juvenile detention facility. The legislators requested that Congress be briefed on prison conditions and efforts to hold Hong Kong officials accountable for torture and arbitrary detention.
Background information reveals that both committees have previously urged sanctions against police, judges, and prosecutors involved in detaining democracy activists under National Security Law cases. The Department of Treasury last sanctioned Hong Kong officials in August 2020, while visa restrictions were imposed by the State Department in March 2024.
The letter also advocated for passing the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act (H.R. 1103 / S. 490), which has passed in the House but awaits Senate action. This legislation would allow the President to remove immunities from Hong Kong government diplomatic outposts accused of surveilling democracy advocates in the U.S.
"We are writing to express our concern about the health, welfare, and human rights of political prisoners in Hong Kong," states part of their letter. They requested evaluations from Consul General in Hong Kong regarding prison conditions' compliance with international obligations.
Additionally, they urged Secretary Blinken to engage with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk for an urgent discussion at the U.N., aiming to shed light on deteriorating rights conditions.
A specific case mentioned involves Owen Chow who faced additional jail time after attempting to file an ombudsman complaint through his lawyer regarding destroyed religious books sent by family members. His lawyer Phyllis Woo was fined as a co-defendant.
The legislators pointed out violations against U.N.'s Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners regarding complaints processes within penal institutions which are reportedly ignored or poorly implemented in Hong Kong prisons.
"Prison guards reportedly exploited security camera blind spots... victims feared reprisal," states an article cited by lawmakers detailing abuses within juvenile facilities involving physical assault sometimes resulting in severe harm or suicide attempts among detainees.
Concluding their appeal, they stressed: "Independent investigations...are urgently needed as...Hong Kong government is covering up mistreatment." They affirmed commitment towards monitoring these issues alongside global parliamentarians concerned over human rights erosion attributed to China's policies.
