American lawyer released from prison, says ‘banned’ from Hong Kong after multi-year legal saga

Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Mar23

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American lawyer released from prison, says ‘banned’ from Hong Kong after multi-year legal saga

//An American lawyer imprisoned for assaulting a policeman in Hong Kong said Wednesday he was banned from the city after being released, capping a multi-year legal saga.

The confrontation between #SamuelPhillipBickett and the plainclothes officer occurred on December 7, 2019, towards the end of huge and at times violent democracy protests that rocked the financial hub. 

The officer, Senior Constable Yu Shu-sang, had forcibly stopped a fare dodger, with Bickett saying that Yu had been “beating and choking” the young man with a baton before he intervened...

In a statement on Twitter Wednesday, Bickett said he was released from prison Tuesday and immediately taken to Immigration Detention before being deported. 

He expressed love for the city, where he had worked as a compliance director at Bank of America.

“I have faith that one day I will be able to once again walk the streets of a Hong Kong ruled by law and governed with the consent of its people,” he said.

Read more:
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/03/23/american-lawyer-released-from-prison-says-banned-from-hong-kong-after-multi-year-legal-saga/

Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Mar23

#Deportation #PoliceBrutality

Hong Kong Authorities Accuses UK National Benedict Rogers of Threatening China's National Security

Source: International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute #Mar23

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Hong Kong Authorities Accuses UK National Benedict Rogers of Threatening China's National Security

On March 23, 2022, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (#IBAHRI) calls on the international community to suspend extradition treaties with #HongKong.

#BenedictRogers, a British citizen and co-founder of #HongKongWatch received a letter from the Hong Kong #NationalSecurityBureau. In addition, the #HongKongPolice issued a notice to Rogers on 10 March 2022, orderinv him to take down the website of Hong Kong Watch within 72 hours of receipt of the notice.

Hong Kong authorities claimed that the website of the NGO posed a threat to China’s national security.

In a statement, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute warned that "more than 160 people have been arrested and over 50 civil society organisations have been forced to close in Hong Kong since the National Security Law was enacted in June 2020."

While Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, have suspended their extradition agreements with Hong Kong, countries including the Czech Republic, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and Sri Lanka still have an agreement with the Hong Kong government.

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute pointed out that "travelling to these countries poses a threat for human rights defenders who may be targeted with the National Security Laws and extradited to Hong Kong to face charges."

Read the full article:
https://www.ibanet.org/IBAHRI-calls-for-suspension-of-extradition-treaties-with-Hong-Kong

Source: International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute #Mar23

#NationalSecurityLaw #Regime