A new report from the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation has alleged that political prisoners in Hong Kong are subjected to systemic physical and sexual violence, alongside other abuses. The 91-page document, released on Monday, is based on interviews with 17 former prisoners and pro-democracy activists, detailing forced solitary confinement, round-the-clock monitoring, and compulsory political indoctrination classes.
The report highlights rampant sexual violence, particularly in juvenile facilities. One survivor, imprisoned at age 17 at Pik Uk Correctional Institution, described being forced to perform oral sex by a 'B-boy'—an inmate granted privileges by staff. 'Those two months were hell on earth,' he said, adding that 'sexual violence happens all the time there'. Another incident involved a 15-year-old repeatedly assaulted in January 2022, who only received medical help the next day.
Beyond political detainees, the report claims broader inmate populations endure sexual and physical violence, medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, and restrictions on religious expression. At least eight of the 17 interviewees said they experienced or witnessed severe physical abuse. Samuel Bickett, an American lawyer jailed for assaulting a police officer, recounted witnessing a 20-minute beating at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre: 'The guards were beating a prisoner... my cellmates didn’t seem surprised.'
Solitary confinement is reportedly used routinely, sometimes for months or years, against high-profile figures like media tycoon Jimmy Lai. The Correctional Services Department relies on both formal solitary confinement and 'removal from association' to isolate political prisoners, the report found. Pro-democracy activist Tony Chung, recently granted asylum by the British government, said staff ignored a teenager's suffering at Pik Uk.
The report comes after more than 1,900 people have been imprisoned on political charges since 2019, following the imposition of Hong Kong's national security law. The CFHK Foundation called the abuses 'not limited to political prisoners', but endemic across the system.
