Shenzhen police confirm 12 Hongkongers under criminal detention, Beijing labels them separatists

Police in the mainland China city of Shenzhen confirmed on September 13, 2020, that 12 missing Hongkongers were in criminal detention. In a statement, police said the group, including 11 men and a woman between the ages of 16 and 33, were arrested at sea on August 23, while reportedly attempting to flee to Taiwan on a speedboat. 
Family members of the detainees held a press conference on September 12, to urge mainland authorities to return their loved ones to Hong Kong. In a tweet on September 13, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying labelled the detainees as separatists. Shenzhen authorities said they were arrested under Hong Kong’s new national security law and for “protest-related offences”.