The UN on Tuesday called on the Hong Kong authorities to release one of the city’s most prominent human rights defenders, Albert Ho, arrested last week and whose state of health is “critical“.
“We are following with great concern the ongoing cases relating to the national security law” in Hong Kong, the UN Human Rights Office said in a tweet.
“Incitement to subversion”
“A week ago, Albert Ho was returned to custody under this law, despite his critical state of health. We urge the authorities to release Ho, so that he can continue to receive urgent medical treatment.“, he added.
Albert Ho was arrested on March 21 by city police for alleged witness tampering. He already faces up to ten years in prison for “incitement to subversionunder the national security law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020 after sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the city. He is this time accused of havinginterfered with witnesseswhile he was out on bail, according to a police source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.
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His trial for incitement to subversion is ongoing, and Albert Ho was released on bail in August after spending almost a year in prison. The conditions of this release include, in particular, the prohibition of making statements representing a threat to national security. The 71-year-old lawyer once led the Hong Kong Alliance, a now disbanded group that for more than 30 years held annual vigils to commemorate the deadly 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.