Eerste veroordeling voor oppositie in Hongkong
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Het Vlaams Belang wil een daadkrachtige houding van België en de EU tegen China, nu de door Peking opgelegde omstreden veiligheidswet in Hongkong gezorgd heeft voor een eerste effectieve veroordeling. “Een 24-jarige Hongkonger kreeg negen jaar opsluiting wegens terrorisme en zogenaamd aanzetten tot separatisme”, zegt Kamerlid Annick Ponthier. “Maar het gaat hier veeleer om een schandelijke inperking van de vrije meningsuiting.”
De invoering van de nationale veiligheidswet betekende voor de inwoners van Hongkong het einde van hun vrijheden. “In 1997 was er nochtans afgesproken dat er andere regels zouden gelden voor het belangrijke financieel-economische centrum Hongkong dan in de communistische dictatuur China”, aldus Ponthier. “Maar Peking heeft zich absoluut niet aan die afspraak gehouden.”
“China zet de nationale veiligheidswet in als wapen om elke oppositie in Hongkong te onderdrukken.”
De veroordeling, uitgesproken door rechters die hiervoor door de uitvoerende macht werden aangeduid, vormt een kwalijk precedent voor de 120 mensen die momenteel in voorarrest zitten op basis van de veiligheidswet. Vijf onder hen werden zelfs gearresteerd wegens het op de markt brengen van een kinderboekje over schapen en wolven, wat door Peking werd gezien als prodemocratische propaganda.
“Hongkong kent een lange rechtstraditie van juryrechtspraak, maar om de oppositie beter te kunnen aanpakken werd dat ondertussen ook al afgeschaft”, vervolgt Ponthier. “Een jury vormt een stem van de publieke opinie, van het volk, en dat is niet iets wat communistische machthebbers kunnen verdragen.”
“Sinds de invoering van de nationale veiligheidswet in juni 2020 is de situatie in Hongkong dermate verslechterd dat ook mensenrechtenorganisaties zich regelmatig bezorgd tonen”, besluit Ponthier. “Ik ondervroeg minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Sophie Wilmès (MR) meermaals over de toestand in Hongkong, maar helaas kwam zij in haar antwoorden ook nooit verder dan het uiten van bezorgdheid. We verwachten van België en de EU echter veel meer daadkracht ter bescherming van de vrije meningsuiting en zullen de minister hierover opnieuw interpelleren.”