Figo Hu-Wun Chan
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2021-023-002
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2021
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 35.86166
Longitude: 104.195397
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- China
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
- Dates of prior UN action
- April 2021
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Type of rights defended
- Civil/political rights
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
In April 2021, the Civil Human Rights Front, a network of human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists, was placed under police investigation for having, among other issues, sent a joint letter on the occasion of 10 December 2020 to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, marking the 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day, urging her to speak up for human rights in Hong Kong. On 26 April 2021, its convenor, Mr. Figo Hu-Wun Chan, received a formal request for information from the Hong Kong police related to, among other questions on the organization’s activities, online presence and financial information, the reasons and purposes of the Civil Human Rights Front’s open letter to the High Commissioner.
- Engagement with UN body
- UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
- Dates of engagement
- April 2021
- Type of attempted engagement
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 26 April 2021; May 2021
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Hong Kong
- Reprisal information
In April 2021, the Civil Human Rights Front, a network of human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists, was placed under police investigation for having, among other issues, sent a joint letter on the occasion of 10 December 2020 to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, marking the 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day, urging her to speak up for human rights in Hong Kong. On 26 April 2021, its convenor, Mr. Figo Hu-Wun Chan, received a formal request for information from the Hong Kong police related to, among other questions on the organization’s activities, online presence and financial information, the reasons and purposes of the Civil Human Rights Front’s open letter to the High Commissioner.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Charge/Investigation/Prosecution - General
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- Yes
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- Yes
- Further case development
In May 2021, Mr. Figo Hu-Wun Chan was arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison related to his involvement in protests in 2019 in Hong Kong.
- Government response dates
- 20 August 2021
- Government response content
Regarding the Civil Human Rights Front, the Government stated the organization had allegedly violated the registration requirement under section 5 of the Societies Ordinance, which provides that unless otherwise specified, a local society shall apply to the Societies Officer (i.e., the Hong Kong Police) for registration or exemption from registration within 1 month of its establishment. Therefore, the Societies Officer had, as authorized under section 15 of the Ordinance, requested the organization to provide information, which it did not provide as requested. Its convenor, Mr. Figo Hu-Wun Chan, was sentenced (under section 17A (3) of the Public Order Ordinance (Cap. 245 of the Laws of Hong Kong) to imprisonment for 18 months after he pleaded guilty to “inciting others to knowingly take part in an unauthorized assembly” and “organizing an unauthorized assembly” at the Hong Kong District Court on 1 October 2019, which was deemed not peaceful and endangered public order, an offence punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
- Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
- No
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- Yes
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 2
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2022
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The case of the human rights defender network Civil Human Rights Front was included in the 2021 Secretary-General report on reprisals, on allegations that it was placed under police investigation, inter alia, for having sent a joint letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, further to which the head of the network Mr. Figo Hu-Wun Chan received a formal letter of inquiry about the purpose of the letter. The Government’s reply of 20 August 2021, included in the 2021 Secretary-General report, noted in relation to the Civil Human Rights Front that the organization had allegedly violated the registration requirements under section 5 of the Societies Ordinance and that Mr. Figo Hu Wun Chan had been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment after he had pleaded guilty to “inciting others to knowingly take part in an unauthorized assembly” on 1 October 2019, under section 17 A (3) of the Public Order Ordinance (Cap. 245 of the Laws of Hong Kong). According to information received by OHCHR, the human rights defender network Civil Human Rights Front publicly announced its disbandment in August 2021 and Mr. Figo Hu Wun Chan remains in prison.
- Followup Trends 0
- Stayed same
- Did the government respond? 0
- Yes
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
- 2023
- Follow up information provided in SG report 1
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The case of the human rights defender network Civil Human Rights Front was included in the 2021 and 2022 Secretary-General reports on reprisals, on allegations that it was placed under police investigation, inter alia, for having sent a joint letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, further to which the head of the network, Mr. Figo Hu-Wun Chan, received a formal letter of inquiry about the purpose of the letter. The Government’s reply of 20 August 2021, included in the 2021 Secretary-General report, noted that the organization had allegedly violated the registration requirements and that Mr. Figo Hu Wun Chan had been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment after he had pleaded guilty to “inciting others to knowingly take part in an unauthorized assembly” on 1 October
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Civil Human Rights Front publicly announced its disbandment in August 2021. According to information received by OHCHR, Mr. Figo Hu Wun Chan was released from prison in October 2022 after having served his full sentence.
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On 28 July 2023, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report. Regarding the Civil Human Rights Front and Mr. Figo Hu-wun Chan, the Government reiterated the information it had provided in its reply to last year’s report (A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, para. 50) noting that the Civil Human Rights Front was suspected of having violated the registration requirement under section 5 of the Societies Ordinance, and that the police had prosecuted Mr. Figo Hu-wun Chan for failing to comply with a request to provide information in violation of section 16(2) of the said Ordinance. It restated that Mr. Chan had pleaded guilty and had been fined 8,000 Hong Kong dollars. The Government also confirmed that Mr. Chan had fully served his prison sentence of 22 months for his involvement in a number of unauthorized assemblies in 2019 and 2020.
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- Followup Trends 1
- Improvement
- Did the government respond? 1
- Yes