【时代论坛讯】包括本地信徒社关团体在内的一群香港及海外人权及非政府组织，向行政长官林郑月娥发出公开联署信，要求立即中止《逃犯条例》及《刑事事宜相互法律协助条例》修订。
公开信由国际特赦组织香港分会、香港人权监察，以及总部位于美国的人权观察联合发起，于六月六日发出。联署团体合共七十六个，当中的信徒社关团体包括成立逾三十年的香港基督徒学会以及基督徒关怀香港学会；其他本地民间团体包括香港教育专业人员协会、伞后组织、以及多个本地及海外法律及人权组织。
公开信指，基于中国司法缺乏独立性，以及其他程序上的缺陷引致不公正的审判，修订会令香港境内任何从事与中国内地有关之工作的人士有风险，包括人权捍卫者、传媒工作者、非政府组织员工及社工，即使当该罪行被指发生时，该人士并不在中国内地。
对于保安局强调修订有足够人权保障，以及指香港法院处理引渡案件时会考虑有关国家的人权状况，公开信反驳指这些措施未足以提供真正保障。公开信指，现行入境条例以酷刑为由而拒绝驱逐、遣返或引渡的範围并不涵盖中国大陆，而本地法院在处理引渡申请时亦无清晰明确的管辖权和法律义务审查当地人权状况。
公开信全文如下：
尊敬的行政长官：
关于香港引渡法例的建议修订公开信
您好！就香港政府建议修订《逃犯条例》及《刑事事宜相互法律协助条例》这两条与引渡相关的法例，我们致函阁下以表达深切关注。
在现行的法例下，引渡及刑事事宜相互法律协助安排不适用于中国内地，是经慎重考虑后做的决定，反映公众及立法局议员对中国的不良人权记录的忧虑。然而，将引渡安排延伸至中国内地的修订，会让香港政府能移交香港境内的任何人（不论是香港居民，前往香港旅行或工作的人士，什至只是过境人士）及他们所持有或管有的物料。
我们亦特别关注建议修订中，任何人被控「协助、教唆、怂使或促致他人犯《逃犯条例》 所述的罪行，或（作为犯该条例所述罪行的事实之前或之后的从犯）煽惑他人犯该条例所述的罪行，或企图犯该条例所述的罪行」，亦属于可以被引渡的罪行。基于中国的司法制度缺乏独立性，并有其他程序上的缺陷引致不公正的审判，我们担忧建议修订会令香港境内任何从事与中国内地有关之工作的人士有风险，包括人权捍卫者、传媒工作者、非政府组织员工及社工，即使当该罪行被指发生时，该人士并不在中国内地。我们促请香港政府立即撤回修订《逃犯条例》及《刑事事宜相互法律协助条例》的条例草案。
另外，香港政府建议修订《刑事事宜相互法律协助条例》，令香港警方可以因应中国当局提出协助调查的要求，搜查个人或进入私人物业进行搜证，以及充公或冻结财产。
当政府的举证达到表证成立的程度，法院就会颁令引渡疑犯。疑犯不能自行举证及辩护，亦不能就证据作盘问。
建议修订存有严重缺憾
香港保安局指，有关修订已有足够的人权保障，而香港法院会考虑提出逃犯和物料移交请求的国家的人权状况。然而，这些保障措施在实际上不太可能提供真正和有效的保护：
1. 根据《入境条例》，香港政府以酷刑为理由而拒绝驱逐、遣返或引渡的适用範围并不涵盖中国
2. 法院没有明确的管辖权和法律义务审查中国内地或其他国家的各种人权状况
3. 根据建议修订，移交逃犯或物料的安排，无法保证被移交的人能够享有在香港刑事司法制度下相若的最低限度权利保障
4. 法院的审理职能仅限于确保香港政府已遵守《逃犯条例》所列明的正式规定
5. 剔除了立法会对于跟香港没有签订移交逃犯协议的国家所提出的拘捕和引渡申请的审议程序
适用于香港的《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》、对香港有约束力的《禁止酷刑和其他残忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或处罚公约》，以至习惯国际法都禁止将人遣返到其他司法管辖区，让他们处于遭受真正酷刑与其他形式虐待（包括无限期拘押于恶劣环境下），或其他严重人权侵犯之风险。我们更要指出，正如现行香港法例及惯例已反映，若被移交的人可能面对死刑，当局有义务硬性拒绝任何引渡要求，而不诉诸死刑的保证则必须可信而有效，且愿意接受香港的司法审查。
中国司法制度的各种问题，包括任意拘押、施行酷刑与其他虐待、严重侵犯公正审判权，以至未经审讯下将人拘押并与外界隔绝的各种体系，早已纪录在案。司法机构不是独立于政府及中国共产党，更令问题加剧。因此，我们极度担心任何人若被引渡到中国都可能有风险，会遭受酷刑与其他形式的虐待及其他严重人权侵犯。
我们促请香港政府立即停止修订《逃犯条例》及《刑事事宜相互法律协助条例》。
希望阁下早日回覆，我们很乐意与相关官员讨论上述事宜。
人权观察中国部主任 索菲・理查森 (Sophie Richardson)
香港人权监察总干事 罗沃启
国际特赦组织香港分会总干事 谭万基
二零一九年六月六日6 June, 2019
Carrie Lam
Chief Executive Office of the Chief Executive Tamar Hong Kong
[email protected]Dear Chief Executive,
OPEN LETTER REGARDING PROPOSED CHANGES TO HONG KONG’S EXTRADITION LAW
We are writing to express our grave concern regarding the Hong Kong government’s proposed amendments to two Hong Kong laws concerning extradition, the Fugitive Offenders’ Ordinance (FOO) and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance (MLACMO).
The existing legislation expressly excludes Mainland China from extradition and mutual legal assistance arrangements, a deliberate decision reflecting public and lawmakers’ concerns about China’s poor human rights record. However, the proposed changes to expand the extradition arrangement to Mainland China would have the effect of enabling the handover of persons in the territory of Hong Kong, be they residents of Hong Kong, persons travelling to or working in Hong Kong, or persons merely in transit, as well as materials carried by them or in their possession.
We are especially concerned that in the proposed amendments, anyone who is accused of “aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of, inciting, being an accessory before or after the fact to, or attempting to commit an offence” that are within the offences described in the FOO, will also fall on the extraditable offences. Given the Chinese judiciary’s lack of independence, and other procedural shortcomings that often result in unfair trials, we are worried that the proposed changes will put at risk anyone in the territory of Hong Kong who has carried out work related to the Mainland, including human rights defenders, journalists, NGO workers and social workers, even if the person was outside the Mainland when the ostensible crime was committed. We are calling on the Hong Kong government to immediately withdraw the bill to amend the FOO and the MLACMO.
The government also proposed to amend the MLACMO, which allows Hong Kong police to search individuals or enter private premises for evidence and confiscate or freeze properties in Hong Kong upon China’s request for assistance.
The court would order the extradition of the suspect once the evidence adduced by the government reaches prima facie level. The suspect cannot adduce evidence and raise a defence and there is no cross-examination on the evidence.
Serious shortcomings in the proposed amendment
The Hong Kong Security Bureau contends that the amendments contain adequate safeguards for human rights and any Hong Kong court would consider the human rights situation of the countries that make the request for surrender of fugitives or material. However, in practice, the safeguards are unlikely to provide genuine and effective protection:
1. Under the Immigration Ordinance, “torture claims” to ward off forced removals cannot be made against China
2. The court does not have the clear explicit jurisdiction and legal obligation to examine the various human rights involved in Mainland China or in other countries
3. Surrender of fugitives or materials under the proposed arrangement does not guarantee comparable minimum rights enjoyed by persons in Hong Kong’s criminal justice system
4. The courts’ review function is limited to ensure the Hong Kong government has complied with the formal requirements set out in the FOO
5. Removal of legislative scrutiny for the arrest and surrender of persons requested by a country with which Hong Kong does not have a treaty-based arrangementThe International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which applies to Hong Kong, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Hong Kong is bound, as well as customary international law, prohibit the return of individuals to jurisdictions where there is a real risk of torture or other ill-treatment, including detention in poor conditions for indefinite periods, or other serious human rights violations. We also note the obligation to mandatorily and generally refuse extradition requests where the person sought may face the death penalty, as reflected in present Hong Kong law and practice, and that any assurances as to its non-application would have to be reliable, effective and open to judicial scrutiny in Hong Kong.
China’s justice system has a record of arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, serious violations of fair trial rights, enforced disappearances and various systems of incommunicado detention without trial. These problems are exacerbated because the Mainland judiciary lacks independence from the government and the Chinese Communist Party. As a result, we are gravely concerned that anyone extradited to China will be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment and other grave human rights violations.
We are calling on the Hong Kong government to immediately halt its plan to amend the legislation. We look forward to your reply and would appreciate receiving your response on this matter.
Sincerely,
Man-kei Tam
Director
Amnesty International Hong KongLaw Yuk Kai
Director
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor
Sophie Richardson China Director Human Rights WatchSophie Richardson
China Director
Human Rights WatchCo-signing Organizations of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists 共同签署的人权组织及传媒工作者 :
Asia Monitor Resource Centre 亚洲专讯资料研究中心
Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers
Justice Centre Hong Kong
Progressive Lawyers Group 法政汇思
The Committee to Protect Journalists
China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group 中国维权律师关注组
Covenants Watch 人权公约施行监督联盟
Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada
Reporter Without Borders (RSF) 无国界记者
The Hong Kong Society for Asylum-seekers and Refugees
Chinese Human Rights Defenders
Hong Kong Watch
Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School
Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty 台湾废除死刑推动联盟
The Law Society of England and Wales
Civil Rights Observer
Judicial Reform Foundation 民间司法改革基金会 (台湾)
PEN Hong Kong
Taiwan Association for Human Rights 台湾人权促进会
The Rights Practice
Co-signing non-governmental organizations 共同签署的非政府组织 :Animal Life Guard Action Group
Canada-Hong Kong Link 港加联
Dolphin Family 豚聚一家
Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles 洛杉矶香港论坛
International Service for Human Rights
Canadian Friends of Hong Kong 加拿大香港之友
Fair Trade Hong Kong 香港公平贸易联盟
Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union 香港教育专业人员协会
Christians for Hong Kong Society 基督徒关怀香港学会
Financier Conscience 思言财隽
Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group 香港野猪关注组
Les Corner Empowerment Association 女角平权协作组
Australia-Hong Kong Link 澳港联
Chosen Power (People First Hong Kong) 卓新力量
Friends of Conscience 良心之友
Humanistic Education Foundation, Taiwan 人本教育文教基本会
Civil Renaissance 思言行
Hong Kong Christian Institute Limited 香港基督徒学会
International Domestic Workers Federation
la la team 啦啦队
Living in Kwun Tong 活在观塘
Northern California Hong Kong Club 北加州香港会
Midnight Blue 午夜蓝
NY4HK
Mongrel Dog Lovers 唐狗就是宝
Open Data Hong Kong
New Arrival Women League 同根社
Planet Ally
The Association for the Advancement of Feminism 新妇女协进会
Umbrella Blossom 撑伞落区运动
New School for Democracy 华人民主书院
PRIDELAB
Hong Kong Women Workers' Association 香港妇女劳工协会
Wang Chau Green Belt Concern Group
Rainbow Action 彩虹行动
The Human Commons 嚣民集作
Save Hong Kong Heritages 全民保育行动
Toronto Association for Democracy in China 多伦多支持中国民运会
Taiwan Forever Association 永社
Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
Worker Empowerment 劳动力
东北反逼迁动物战队
放射良心
Youth Synergy Taiwan Foundation 财团法人青平台基金会社会培力中心
严重弱智人士家长协会
Civil Society Development Resources Center 公民社会发展资源中心
Scholars’ Alliance for Academic Association of Freedom 学术自由学者联盟
International Association of People's Lawyers
Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese 香港天主教正义和平委员会
Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour 大学师生监察无良企业行动
Civil Human Rights Front 民间人权阵线
HK Equality Project
Hong Kong Unison Limited 香港融乐会有限公司
