The letter was addressed to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in hopes of calling for European Member States and the European Commission’s action to work for the immediate release of all people detained under the NSL and to end the political show trials in Hong Kong.
The nine members include Miriam Lexmann MEP (EPP, Slovakia), Engin Eroglu MEP (Renew, Germany), Anna Fotyga MEP (ECR, Poland), Hilde Vautmans MEP (Renew, Belgium), Raphaël Glucksmann MEP (S&D, France), Salima Yenbou MEP (Renew, France), Reinhard Bütikofer MEP (Greens/EFA, Germany), Jordi Solé MEP (Greens/EFA, Spain), and Isabel Santos MEP (S&D, Portugal).
The letter also urged European Member States and the European Commission to review and update the conclusions on Hong Kong discussed by the EU Council three years ago, as well as implement the recommendations of the resolution, including establishing a human rights focal point for human rights defenders and raising the awareness of the respective authorities regarding their cases.
The European Commission and Council were then urged to consider steps to ensure that Hong Kong and Chinese officials are held accountable for their actions, audit their assets in the European Union, and introduce targeted sanctions under the European Global Rights Sanctions Regime at the end of the letter.
The letter was published after a resolution on Hong Kong by the European Parliament which urged the Hong Kong government to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against Jimmy Lai and all the other pro-democracy representatives and activists and called on the European External Action Service and the EU Office in Hong Kong to strengthen their trial observations, report on the most prominent trials, and request prison visits to Hongkongers imprisoned for exercising their basic rights.
