Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal has refused actor Gregory Wong permission to appeal against his rioting conviction and six-year-and-two-month prison sentence over the storming of the Legislative Council on July 1, 2019, according to Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP). The court’s Appeal Committee dismissed Wong’s application on Friday, stating that it disclosed “no reasonable […]

Updated: 2 November 2026 Hong Kong bookseller 候鳥香港有限公司 said on 2 November that Customs had seized more than 60 books from a shipment ordered from Taiwan. In its public statement, the company said the shipment had been due on 13 October but arrived on 20 October. Instead of the expected two boxes, it received only […]

The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China promises citizens rights, representation, and even a formal route to amendment. Yet those who have asked the state to honor those promises have repeatedly found their arguments reclassified as threats to state security. In December 2008, more than 300 Chinese intellectuals, lawyers, writers and activists published Charter […]

SENTINEL DEFENDERS BRIEFING Human rights developments through the lens of defender protection, justice and accountability. Issue #002 | 19 October 2026 Editor’s note This issue examines whether protection works in practice: for Hongkongers facing immigration detention in the United States, a commentator defending himself against national security-related charges, and imprisoned people seeking contact with those […]

SENTINEL DEFENDERS BRIEFING Human rights developments through the lens of defender protection, justice and accountability. Issue #001 | 12 October 2026 Editor’s note This issue begins with developments affecting Hong Kong people: prosecutions concerning speech and disclosure, a court decision upholding an acquittal, and a change to settlement rules for BN(O) families in the United […]

Recent spyware warnings and phishing techniques highlight risks to human rights defenders, journalists and activists. Here are practical steps to reduce exposure.