United Nations human rights experts in a letter to China, have strongly condemned the imposition of the National Security Legislation on Hong Kong.
The National Security Legislation was widely criticised since it was imposed by Beijing in June after months of huge pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year.
In a 14-page letter experts said the law breached international legal obligations. The law “poses a serious risk” to fundamental freedoms and due process protections, it added.
The letter sent by Fionnuala Ni Aolain, a UN special rapporteur on protecting human rights while countering terrorism, and six other UN experts.
“We are particularly troubled that this legislation may impinge impermissibly on the rights to freedom of opinion, expression and of peaceful assembly,” they wrote.
They added that it ran the “grave risk” of targeting the legitimate activities of political opponents, critics, students, and lawyers among others.
“I hope the world, not only the whole of Hong Kong… could know that the national security law is actually not a legal thing, but a political tool for the regime, for the government to suppress political dissidents,” AFP reported Ms Chow as saying.
Beijing has said the legislation is needed to tackle unrest and instability.
It rejects criticism as interference in its affairs.