(Bloomberg) -- European lawmakers have called for fresh sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials over the prosecution of former media mogul Jimmy Lai, as the trial of the city’s top security law target enters its final stage.
Members of European Parliament wrote that Hong Kong authorities should “immediately and unconditionally release all pro-democracy politicians.” They added in a resolution that was posted to their website Thursday sanctions should be imposed “for human rights violations.”
Lai is taking the stand to defend himself against national security charges that could jail the 76-year-old for the rest of his life. That case has attracted international attention with US President-elect Donald Trump vowing to free Lai, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer bringing up the case in a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
A Hong Kong court earlier this month sentenced former democracy advocate Benny Tai to 10 years in prison, the longest sentence ever meted out using a China-imposed security law. His punishment was handed down in a mass trial that jailed a total of 45 defendants, including student activist Joshua Wong, over organizing unofficial primary polls in 2020.
Hong Kong authorities hit back at the European lawmakers’ criticism, calling accusations of humans rights abuses “groundless.”
“We strongly condemn any suggestion of imposing unilateral sanctions on any officials,” a government spokesperson said in a statement late Thursday. “Officials will not be threatened by such barbaric and despicable acts.”
The former British colony’s alleged role in helping Russia, Iran and North Korea evade global sanctions through financial services was also condemned in the lawmakers’ statement.
European lawmakers called for Hong Kong’s favorable customs treatment to be revoked and the status of its economic trade office in Brussels to be reviewed.
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