No country should harbour criminals, Hong Kong leader says after Nathan Law saga

Hong Kong’s leader has warned that no country should harbour criminals, the day after Singapore cited “national interests” as the reason for denying entry to wanted activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung.

But Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday sidestepped a question on whether his administration had asked the city state to help transfer Law, as an extradition agreement was in place between Hong Kong and Singapore.

Law, now living in the UK, is wanted by Hong Kong police for allegedly violating the Beijing-imposed national security law after he left the city in 2020.

He was among eight opposition figures on whom police imposed HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties in July 2023.

The activist was also declared a fugitive under the city’s first domestic national security law, also known as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which was enacted in March 2024.

“No country should harbour criminals. Violating national security is a serious crime,” Lee told reporters before his weekly meeting with the Executive Council, the top decision-making body.