Hong Kong Government: Suspend the implementation of agreements between Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Ireland on the transfer of fugitives

　　According to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s press release, according to the instructions of the Central People’s Government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has issued notices to the Dutch Consulate General in Hong Kong and the Irish Consulate General in Hong Kong to suspend the implementation of the "Hong Kong Government and the Kingdom of the Netherlands". The Government’s Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders and the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and the Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Ireland Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Ireland on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

　　A spokesperson for the Special Administrative Region Government said: “It is an international practice to maintain national security through laws. The Netherlands and Ireland have enacted relevant laws, but under the pretext of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of The agreement on the transfer of fugitive offenders signed by the SAR blatantly interferes in China’s internal affairs and violates international law and basic norms of international relations. The Hong Kong SAR government firmly opposes this. The two countries have politicized judicial cooperation and undermined the basis for judicial cooperation between the Hong Kong SAR and the two countries. To this end, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, in accordance with the instructions of the Central People’s Government, suspends the implementation of the surrender of fugitive offender agreements and criminal judicial assistance agreements with the Netherlands and Ireland."

　　In addition, in accordance with the instructions of the Central People’s Government, the SAR government has issued notices to the French, German, and Finnish consulates respectively, shelving the agreement on the surrender of fugitive offenders with France, suspending the implementation of the agreement on the surrender of fugitive offenders with Germany and Finland, and the "Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China The Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of Hong Kong and the Government of the French Republic and the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Finland ".