Political prisoners in Hong Kong have been subjected to "systemic" physical and sexual violence in jail, a new report by a Washington-based rights group has revealed.
The report published by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation on Monday alleged that political prisoners faced physical violence, were forced into solitary confinement, subjected to round-the-clock monitoring, extra screening and forced to attend political indoctrination courses.
Juvenile detainees have been subjected to rampant sexual violence while in prison, according to the 91-page report drawn from interviews with 17 former prisoners along with pro-democracy activists.
More than 1,900 people have been imprisoned on political charges since 2019 when Hong Kong witnessed a wave of massive pro-democracy protests, which prompted Beijing to impose the sweeping national security law to throttle dissent.
The former prisoners described being forced to eat alone, participate in pro-Chinese Communist Party classes, watch propaganda films and attend confessional counselling sessions.
"These abuses are not limited to political prisoners. Across the wider inmate population, prisoners endure sexual and physical violence, medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, restrictions on religious materials and expressions of faith, and extreme heat," the report found.
At least eight of the 17 prisoners interviewed by the rights organisation claimed they were subjected to or witnessed severe physical abuse. "Juvenile facilities are especially notorious for excessive violence," it found.
A political activist, who was sent to prison at 17-years-old and subjected to sexual assault, told the group that "sexual violence happens all the time" in juvenile prisons. The survivor experienced "prolonged physical and sexual violence" during his three-month-long imprisonment at the Pik Uk Correctional Institution, the report found.
He was allegedly forced to perform oral sex by a "B-boy" – a nickname use for an inmate chosen by the jail staff to help with workload in lieu for privileges. The former prisoner said if was threatened with more violence if he refused.
"Those two months were hell on earth," the sexual violence survivor recalled. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and requires counselling.
"Sexual violence happens all the time there. It wasn’t just me – many others went through it too. The B-boys enabled all of it. I still haven’t recovered. Even now, when I study, I get flashbacks. My chest tightens, and it’s hard to breathe," he added.
Pro-democracy activist Tony Chung, who was recently granted asylum by the British government, said other inmates at the correctional institution were aware of the teenager's suffering but the prison staff refused to take action. Chung was sentenced to jail for inciting secession under the national security law along with money laundering charges.
In January 2022, a 15-year-old was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a "B-Boy" at the Pik Uk facility, the report said. The victim only received medical help the next day, when an officer discovered him bleeding during work duty, it said.
Last year, a prison officer and four prisoners at the facility were charged with "wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm" to a male inmate.
Samuel Bickett, an American lawyer jailed for assaulting a police officer in 2019, claimed he witnessed an inmate being assaulted in Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre's hospital wing. Bickett, who also authored the report, said "witnessing that beating was a shocking moment".
"The guards were beating a prisoner. This went on for at least 20 minutes. My cellmates didn’t seem surprised. They explained to me that the prisoner had talked back to the guards. Eventually, the screaming stopped," Bickett said.
The prison authorities in Hong Kong have also been accused of using solitary confinement as a routine form of punishment and control, which has been often imposed on high-profile political prisoners such as media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
The Correctional Services Department "relies on both formal solitary confinement and supposedly non-punitive “removal from association” authority to isolate political prisoners for weeks, months, or even years", the report found.
The 77-year-old founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily is facing the prospect of life in prison if found guilty of sedition and collusion with foreign powers under Hong Kong’s national security law. Mr Lai has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious material.
The media tycoon's son, Sebastien Lai, claimed last year that his father, who suffers from diabetes, had lost significant weight and that he had been denied independent medical care. The media tycoon has been in solitary confinement since 2021.
"I don't want my father to die in jail," he said, urging the UK government to do more to secure Mr Lai's release.
The CFHK has called on the global community and United Nations to demand that the city administration allows independent experts to monitor prisons. “Only coordinated external pressure, rigorous documentation, and sustained support for prisoners and their families can create leverage for change,” it added.
The Independent has reached out to the office of chief executive John Lee for a statement.
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