“A bill to impose sanctions and other policy consequences in response to the death of political prisoners in Hong Kong, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines key terms for the Act, including “covered foreign person” as any official, agent, or employee of the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the Government of Hong Kong responsible for the arrest, detention, prosecution, imprisonment, abuse, or death of a Hong Kong political prisoner. It further defines “Hong Kong political prisoner” as an individual detained or imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of rights under the Sino-British Joint Declaration or Basic Law, for political views or advocacy, or under the National Security Law, sedition provisions, Public Order Ordinance, or the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, with a presumption of such status unless the Secretary determines otherwise based on credible evidence.
This section sets forth congressional findings on the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, a 78-year-old United Kingdom citizen and founder of Apple Daily, since December 2020, his December 2025 conviction and February 2026 sentencing to 20 years in prison under Hong Kong's National Security Law, and the detention of more than one thousand other individuals, including named pro-democracy figures, under that law and related ordinances. It details concerns over solitary confinement, denial of counsel and religious access, lack of independent oversight, and risks to detainees' health and lives.
This section declares it the policy of the United States that individuals detained in Hong Kong for the peaceful exercise of human rights and freedoms are political prisoners whose welfare and release directly implicate U.S. national interests. It requires advocacy for their immediate and unconditional release, including that of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, accountability for their health and consular access, prompt sanctions and other responses to any death in custody, and coordination with the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the European Union, and other allies.
This section requires the Secretary to determine within 30 days of credible information whether a Hong Kong political prisoner's death in custody resulted from denial of medical care, physical abuse, torture, or conditions inconsistent with the Nelson Mandela Rules, and to identify each responsible covered foreign person. It mandates sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act within 60 days of the determination. Sanctions may be terminated upon certification that the Government of Hong Kong or China conducted a credible investigation, held responsible persons accountable under international fair trial standards, and provided full information and remedies to the family, with a report to Congress 30 days before termination identifying any senior officials with command responsibility.
This section directs the Secretary of State, upon determining that a Hong Kong political prisoner has died in custody, to request an independent United Nations inquiry into the death and conditions of detention, discuss the matter at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and coordinate sanctions with the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the European Union. It requires the Secretary to impose visa restrictions on adult family members of individuals sanctioned under section 5(b). It also requires an annual report, beginning 90 days after enactment, on the health status of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and other Hong Kong political prisoners, any denial of medical care or access, and recommendations for additional U.S. measures. Finally, it requires the Secretary, within 90 days of enactment, to consider sanctions, other accountability actions, and withdrawal of privileges for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in response to mistreatment of political prisoners.
This section expresses the sense of Congress that Jimmy Lai Chee-ying should be immediately and unconditionally released from detention in Hong Kong, that the Government of the People's Republic of China should grant him full consular access consistent with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and that the United States should treat his case as a priority human rights matter in all diplomatic engagements with China and the United Kingdom.