VietJoy

FILE - An officer monitors passengers arriving at Hong Kong International airport in Hong Kong, Jan. 4, 2020.

Hong Kong denied entry to the executive director of Human Rights Watch, the international watchdog said Sunday.

Kenneth Roth, who traveled to Hong Kong with plans to launch the organization's "World Report 2020," was told he could not enter when he landed at Hong Kong International Airport on Sunday. Human Rights Watch said that immigration agents gave no reason as to why the U.S. citizen was denied entry.

"I had hoped to spotlight Beijing’s deepening assault on international efforts to uphold human rights," Roth said. "The refusal to let me enter Hong Kong vividly illustrates the problem."

Human Rights Watch was scheduled to release the report on January 15th at a news conference. Roth's introductory essay to the 652-page report warns that China's government is "carrying out an intensive attack on the global system for enforcing human rights."

The watchdog said Roth will now present the report Jan. 14 from New York City.