Europe must not be complicit through silence

ECR Group Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini has expressed his support for Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, who has been imprisoned since 2020 and has now pleaded guilty in a second national security case after years of detention. Procaccini called on Europe not to abandon Mr Wong in the face of his continued persecution, which reflects the wider erosion of democratic freedoms and the systematic silencing of opposition voices.

ECR Group Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini said:

“Joshua Wong’s guilty plea is yet another demonstration of the repression with which Xi Jinping’s regime is suffocating every voice of freedom in Hong Kong. Wong is not a criminal. He is a man who had the courage to fight for democracy, and today he is being persecuted for it.

“Europe must not be complicit through its silence and must not abandon Joshua Wong to his fate, now that he has been forced into this act of self-incrimination.

“Given the political trials and the systematic violation of fundamental rights in Hong Kong, Europe must decide where it stands. And it must act to ensure that regimes responsible for crimes and persistent violations of freedom are held fully accountable for their actions.”