The Council of Global Unions (CGU) on Wednesday condemned the prosecution of veteran Hong Kong trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan, who appeared in court facing a charge of “inciting subversion of state power” under China’s National Security Law (NSL), an offence that carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Lee, former general secretary of the now-defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), has been in pre-trial detention for four years following earlier convictions linked to the 2019 pro-democracy protests. The CGU stated that Lee is being criminalised for exercising internationally protected rights to freedom of association and assembly, describing trade unionists as human rights defenders rather than criminals.

The CGU warned that the NSL, imposed by Beijing in 2020, has led to a sharp deterioration of human rights conditions in Hong Kong, citing the imprisonment of at least eight independent trade unionists and the forced closure of more than 200 unions, civil society groups, and independent media outlets. The CGU called for the immediate and unconditional release of Lee and other detained activists, and urged the Hong Kong government to repeal the NSL and related security legislation. It also raised alarm over the law’s extraterritorial application, saying it has created a chilling effect on activists in exile and undermined democratic freedoms both within and beyond Hong Kong.

Read the CGU's statement.