Henriksson: Hong Kong extradition treaty in practice suspended

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Translation of an article by YLE, published on the 15th of July 2020.
Käännös Ylen 15.7.2020 julkaistusta artikkelista.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11449622



According to Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (Swedish Peoples's Party) Finland's extradition treaty with Hong Kong has been in practice suspended.


The treaty signed in 2005 had to be reviewed after China tightened it's grip on the Special Administrative Region. A new national security law took effect in Hong Kong at the beginning of July.

(Little correction: the treaty was signed in 2013, while negotiations on the treaty started in 2005.)


Henriksson said that because of the national security law, Finland considers Hong Kong's legal status as being unclear.


"We can say that in practice the extradition treaty has been suspended, because of Hong Kong's unclear legal status. As far as Finland is concerned, at the moment and based on the information we have, all extraditions are out of the question."


Extradition treaties allow Finland to hand over suspects, defendants or people sentenced of a crime to other countries under certain circumstances.


The treaty between Finland and Hong Kong has never led to extraditions.

Ministry of Justice will examine if a formal decision is needed



The European Union has expressed concern that the new national security law will undermine Hong Kong's autonomy. China signed a treaty with the United Kingdom on Hong Kong's status when the region was handed over in 1997.


"The law includes stronger than expected tools that China can use, including trials behind closed doors and the possibility of extraditing people accused of a crime to be tried in the Mainland," Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Greens) said on Monday.


According to Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson, the new law means a significant change in Hong Kong's status.


"Hong Kong in 2005 is not the same as Hong Kong today. Because of this you have to wonder, if the other party (in the extradition treaty) is the same as when the treaty was signed" Henriksson says.


"Because of this it's justifiable to argue, whether or not the treaty is still binding towards Finland."


The Ministry of Justice has examined how formal suspension or withdrawal from the treaty would happen.


Henriksson says that the ministry is now reviewing whether or not the treaty is binding towards Finland under the new circumstances or is a formal decision required.

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