HONG KONG – An American citizen working for a law firm was among those arrested in Hong Kong today under a new national security law imposed by Beijing, two sources said.
A legal source said John Clancey, a solicitor with the law firm Ho Tse Wai and Partners, was arrested on suspicion of “subversion”. A police source confirmed his arrest and the charge.
Ho Tse Wai is known for taking on human rights cases, and police were seen searching the firm’s office this morning.
One of its partners is Albert Ho, a former Hong Kong lawmaker and opposition politician, who was also among some 50 opposition figures arrested in today’s operation.
Clancey is the first American national detained under the new security law since its imposition in late June last year.
The law firm’s website said Clancey joined the company in 1997 and is a specialist in medical negligence and personal injury cases.
The firm said he is also chairman of the Asian Human Rights Commission and a founding member of the executive committee of the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group. – AFP, January 6, 2021
