【周庭被DQ】歐盟聲明稱決定削港自由開放聲譽　有違國際公約

香港眾志的常委周庭早前被選舉主任裁定參加立法會港島區補選的提名無效，惹起社會討論。歐盟就事件發表聲明，指因候選人的政治立場而禁止其參選的做法，與《公民權利和政治權利國際公約》的權利相抵觸，亦造成削弱香港擁有自由開放社會的國際聲譽的危機。

港島區選舉主任鄧如欣以香港眾志綱領倡議民主自決為依據，裁定周庭的提名無效。歐盟發言人指出，保障香港的公民權利和政治權利，是落實「一國兩制」原則的重要組成部分，由於參選人的政治主張拒絕其參與選舉，有違《公民權利和政治權利國際公約》透過《香港人權法案》在香港、保障選舉不受無理限制。

此外，法政匯思亦發表聲明指，對周庭參選港島補選的提名無效感到驚愕，認為該決定不單不公正地剝奪了憲法上賦予該名被提名人的參選權，更不公平地限制了香港市民投票予心儀候選人的權利。 聲明又稱，選舉主任的決策過程全不透明，官員作風獨斷，程序亦自相矛盾，用以判定一個參選人是否真心「擁護《基本法》」及「誓言效忠香港特別行政區」的準則及證據完全不清晰，質疑有些參選人即使沒有簽署確認書，例如參選建測規園界補選的司馬文，但其提名亦被視為有效。

歐盟聲明全文：
Statement by the Spokesperson on the decision to bar Agnes Chow from running for a Legislative Council by-election

The decision by a Hong Kong returning officer to bar Agnes Chow from running for a Legislative Council by-election on the basis of her political affiliation, subsequently supported by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, risks diminishing Hong Kong's international reputation as a free and open society.

The protection of civil and political rights in Hong Kong is an essential part of the implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, which the EU supports. Barring candidates from standing for election because of their political beliefs is in contradiction with the right under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, whose application is guaranteed in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, to stand for election without unreasonable restrictions.