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U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and John Curtis (R-UT) last Friday introduced the Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act, which would initiate a mandatory review of 45 individuals for targeted sanctions under existing U.S. laws.
The bill aims to hold accountable judges, prosecutors, and legal officials complicit in eroding Hong Kong’s rule of law. The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation welcomed the move. Frances Hui, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the CFHK Foundation, said: “Hong Kong’s democratic movement has moved from street protests to the courtrooms these past few years, where the government is using lawfare to silence activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens. The role of these judges and prosecutors cannot be ignored.”
In response to the bill, the Hong Kong government issued a strongly worded statement declaring it would “never be intimidated” by the proposed U.S. sanctions. It accused U.S. lawmakers of “clamouring” against Hong Kong personnel and judges who “dutifully safeguard national security,” and insisted the government would continue to fulfil its responsibilities under the National Security Law.
Jimmy Lai, founder of pro-democracy media outlet Apple Daily, on Monday, May 19, marked 1,600 days in custody, much of it spent in solitary confinement. His detention underscores the urgent need for international accountability on the part of both Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. The CFHK Foundation continues to call for his immediate and unconditional release.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong authorities are selectively targeting independent news outlets with coordinated tax audits and retroactive demands, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said Wednesday, naming InMedia, The Witness, ReNews, Boomhead, and Hong Kong Free Press among those affected, including their staff and families.
Hong Kong’s Office of the Ombudsman scrubbed decades of reports and public documents from its website, narrowing public access to only the most recent three years. The purge includes annual reports, investigative findings, mediation examples, and press releases dating back as far as 2003.
UK – Hong Kong
The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Lord Alton of Liverpool, held a hearing this week on the growing threat of transnational repression. Security Minister Dan Jarvis testified on the UK government’s response to foreign regimes targeting individuals on British soil.
During the session, Alex Sobel MP raised the case of Chloe Cheung, a staff member at the CFHK Foundation, who was placed under a HK$1 million bounty by the Hong Kong authorities in December 2024. The mention highlighted the urgent need for stronger safeguards for UK-based Hong Kong activists facing harassment, intimidation, and state-directed retaliation from Beijing.
North America – Hong Kong
U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FT) highlighted the case of Jimmy Lai during Michael DeSombre’s nomination hearing for Assistant Secretary of State. DeSombre acknowledged the issue, telling the committee, “I’m very familiar with what has happened to Jimmy Lai and understand that President Trump has called for Jimmy Lai to be freed and should be freed.”
The CFHK Foundation welcomed the spotlight on Hong Kong’s deteriorating business environment and called on the Trump administration to escalate pressure for Lai’s and other political prisoners’ immediate release.
Australia – Hong Kong
The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed Ted Hui, the former Hong Kong lawmaker who fled Beijing’s reach and is now a lawyer in Adelaide. Hui described the constant threat he faces, with a HK$1 million bounty on his head, wanted posters still displayed outside Hong Kong police stations, and ongoing campaigns targeting him and his family. “To the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, I’m a traitor guilty of numerous heinous crimes,” Hui said.