HONG KONG– In a sweeping crackdown on opposition, authorities in Hong Kong on Wednesday detained more than 50 pro-democracy numbers for supposedly violating the strict brand-new nationwide protection law, according to political parties and also regional media.
Those jailed on suspicion of subversion consisted of U.S. citizen John Clancey, a lawyer and also civils rights advocate at the Ho Tse Wai & Allies law practice in Hong Kong and additionally chair of the Oriental Human Rights Commission, a Hong Kong-based team that advocate higher civils rights across the area.
A resource near the company validated that he had been arrested as well as kept in police safekeeping Wednesday.In a video clip released by the AFP news agency, Clancey is asked to react to his apprehension and also states, “Continue to work for freedom as well as civils rights in Hong Kong.”
Photo: Winners of the informal autonomous primaries position at the end of a press conference in Hong Kong on July 15, 2020.
Winners of the informal democratic primaries present at the end of an interview in Hong Kong on July 15, 2020. Anthony Wallace/ AFP – Getty Images data
U.S. authorities were not right away available for comment on Clancey’s arrest.
Hua Chunying, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said Beijing backed the arrests. She additionally stated that people’s civil liberties as well as flexibilities were not influenced.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s safety preacher, told a press conference Wednesday that the operation “targets the active components who are presumed to be involved in the crime of overthrowing, or interfering (and) seriously ruin the Hong Kong government’s lawful implementation of tasks.”
Elderly superintendent Steve Li from the nationwide protection system told a press conference that 53 people– 45 men and also eight ladies aged between 23 to 64– were jailed in a procedure that involved 1,000 policemans.
Anthony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden’s secretary of state candidate, claimed on Twitter that the brand-new administration would “stand with individuals of Hong Kong as well as versus Beijing’s suppression on freedom.”