Govt Says It Too Is Suspending Finland Fugitive Deal

The government says it has informed Finland that it is suspending the extradition deal between the two places – a week after Finland announced that it was pressing pause on the agreement.

Several Western countries have now suspended their pacts with Hong Kong on the surrender of fugitives, over serious concerns about the territory's national security law.

Responding to Finland's move, the SAR government said on Friday that Helsinki has damaged the basis for co-operation on fugitives by using the national security law "as an excuse" to unilaterally suspend the agreement that was in place.

"Such a move is an open interference in China's internal affairs and a violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations," a spokesperson said in a statement, without elaborating.

"The HKSAR Government firmly objects to the move of Finland. The country has politicised juridical co-operation, thereby damaging the basis of juridical co-operation between the HKSAR and Finland. For this reason, in accordance with the instruction of the CPG, the HKSAR Government has suspended the implementation of the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders agreement."

Hong Kong and Finland signed the agreement in 2005 and it went into force in 2013.

The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Germany and France have also terminated their extradition agreements with the SAR in recent months.