Ireland and the Netherlands Suspend Extradition Agreements with Hong Kong; Hong Kong Government Suspends Surrender of Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance
愛爾蘭、荷蘭停與香港引渡協議 港府暫停兩國移交逃犯及司法互助
The governments of the Netherlands and Ireland announced last month that, in response to Hong Kong’s implementation of the National Security Law, they had decided to suspend the implementation of their extradition agreements with Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government said today (10th) that, acting on instructions from the Central People’s Government, it had notified the two countries’ consulates general in Hong Kong that it was suspending the implementation of the agreements on the surrender of fugitive offenders and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said the two countries had “politicised judicial cooperation”, undermining the foundation for judicial cooperation between Hong Kong and the two countries. The spokesperson criticised the two countries for using the National Security Law as a pretext to unilaterally suspend the implementation of the agreements on the surrender of fugitive offenders signed with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The spokesperson reiterated that using the law to safeguard national security is an international practice, saying: “Openly interfering in China’s internal affairs violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government firmly opposes this.”
荷蘭及愛爾蘭政府上月宣布，因應香港實施港區國安法，決定暫停與香港執行引渡協議。港府今日（10 日）表示，根據中央人民政府指示，已分別向兩國的駐香港總領事館發出通知，暫停履行兩國的移交逃犯協定，以及刑事事宜相互司法協助的協定。 港府發言人指兩國「將司法合作政治化」，損害香港與兩國之間開展司法合作的基礎，批評兩國以港區國安法為籍口，單方面暫停履行與香港特區簽訂的移交逃犯協定。發言人重申，通過法律維護國家安全是國際慣例，「公然干涉中國内政，違反國際法和國際關係基本準則，香港特區政府對此堅決反對。」