Hong Kong suspends extradition treaties with France and Germany

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Hong Kong on Wednesday announced the suspension of extradition treaties with France and Germany, days after these two European countries took similar measures in protest against the decline in freedoms in the city.

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"  The two countries have politicized cooperation in legal matters, thus undermining the grounds for legal cooperation between Hong Kong, Germany and France,  " the Hong Kong government said in a statement.

At the beginning of August, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs had indicated that "  in the light of the latest developments  " in the former British colony, France gave up ratifying the extradition agreement signed on May 4, 2017 between Paris and the territory. semi-autonomous.

A few days earlier, the German Foreign Ministry had made a similar announcement, citing in particular recent “  events  ” and in particular the postponement of legislative elections for one year on Friday due to coronavirus.

Before Paris and Berlin, several Western countries - Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand - announced similar measures in reaction to the national security law in force since June 30 in the Special Autonomous Region, aimed at sanctioning "  Subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces  ".

Imposed in reaction to the monster demonstrations of 2019 in Hong Kong against the influence of Beijing, this law makes its critics fear an unprecedented decline in the freedoms enjoyed by the former British colony since its return to China in 1997.
(With Afp )

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• Hong Kong
• France
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