Click here for the PDF version of this statement (available in Eglish and Chinese).
Lawyers for Lawyers and The 29 Principles express grave concern regarding the continued arbitrary detention and judicial persecution of human rights barrister Chow Hang Tung in Hong Kong, who went on a hunger strike in commemoration of the victims of Tiananmen Square Massacre.
On 1 June 2025, Chow Hang Tung—imprisoned since September 2021 under the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL)—announced a 36-hour hunger strike from prison to commemorate the victims of the June 4 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, marking the 36th anniversary of the crackdown. Over the years many who have tried to commemorate the massacre in China and Hong Kong have been suppressed, including lawyers.
A barrister and prominent human rights defender, Chow formerly served as vice chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China—the group that organised the city’s annual candlelight vigils for Tiananmen victims until authorities banned them in 2020. The Alliance was disbanded in 2021 under increasing pressure and accusations under the National Security Law.
In 2023, Chow and two other Alliance members, Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwong, were convicted and sentenced to four-and-a-half months in prison for failing to comply with a police order to provide information under suspicion of being a ‘foreign agent’. In March 2025, Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal unanimously overturned these convictions, stating that the lower courts had erred in law.
Despite the court’s ruling in her favour, Chow remains in detention, now facing the grave charge of “inciting subversion of state power”, which under the NSL carries a potential life sentence. Her hunger strike reflects both a personal act of protest and a broader indictment of the shrinking space for civil liberties, legal dissent, and peaceful assembly in Hong Kong.
Chow has publicly criticised the injustice of the case, highlighting how vague and politically motivated accusations, unsupported by evidence, led to wrongful imprisonment and public stigmatisation. She underscored that being falsely labelled a ‘foreign agent’ undermines a person’s integrity and invites ostracisation, all while the authorities avoid accountability.
This persecution occurs within a deeply troubling context. Since the introduction of the National Security Law, there has been a marked increase in the arrest, prosecution, and intimidation of lawyers and pro-democracy advocates—including for merely exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
According to Article 23 of the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, lawyers are entitled to freedom of expression and association especially in the context of promoting and protecting human rights. The continued targeting of legal professionals like Chow Hang Tung is a clear violation of these international norms.
In light of the above, the undersigned organisations urgently call on the Hong Kong authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Chow Hang Tung and drop all charges against her that stem solely from her peaceful and lawful human rights work;
- Ensure Chow is not subjected to ill-treatment in custody, and that she receives appropriate medical attention and support during her hunger strike;
- Cease all acts of judicial harassment and arbitrary detention of lawyers and activists involved in peaceful commemorations and pro-democracy advocacy;
- Uphold international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Hong Kong is bound;
The undersigned organisations stand in solidarity with Chow Hang Tung and all others in Hong Kong facing repression for their legitimate human rights work. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and call on the international community to raise its voice in defence of human rights and the rule of law in Hong Kong.
