MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th December, 2020) Ottawa on Tuesday voiced its concern over the judicial procedures performed by Beijing on 12 Hong Kong residents detained in China's Shenzhen since August and called on the Chinese authorities to conduct trials within the human rights framework.
A group of rights activists was arrested off the coast of Hong Kong on August 23 while allegedly trying to flee to Taiwan by boat. The detainees have been charged for offenses related to the city's anti-government violent protests, which have rocked Hong Kong since June 2019. The closed hearings on the case took place on Monday, with 10 defendants allegedly admitting to having attempted to illegally cross the maritime border and the two others facing no charges, as they are minors. No journalists or diplomats were allowed at the hearings.
"Canada expresses deep concern over the secret trial involving the #Shenzhen12. We urge Chinese authorities to conduct trials in accordance with due process and judicial transparency in line with international #HumanRights norms and standards," the government tweeted.
According to the RTHK news outlet, citing relatives of the detainees, the latter are due to receive their verdicts from the Yantian District People's Court on Wednesday.
The anti-governmental protests in Hong Kong this year revolved around a controversial security law adopted by China on June 30. According to Beijing, the legislation criminalizes activities related to terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power and collusion with foreign forces, while local pro-democracy activists and certain Western nations claim that the law undermines Hong Kong's civil liberties and democratic freedoms.
