Three important prodemocracy Hong Kong movements were found guilty for their involvement in the annual vigil of the territory to mark the collapse of Tiananmen Square that left thousands of deaths.
Media mogul Jimmy Lai and activist Chow Hangtung were convicted of inciting others to attend the town’s annual vigil in Tiananmen on June 4, 2020, while Gwyneth Ho was convicted of attending an “unauthorized” convention. Chow was also convicted of participating in an “unauthorized” rally.
The human rights organization Amnesty International described the convictions as a “heinous attack on the right to freedom of expression and assembly”. Lai, Chow and Ho have pleaded not guilty. They are all in custody and have been refused release.
“Hong Kong government has returned to condemn activists to condemn activists, simply by participating in a peaceful and socially secluded alertness for those killed by Chinese troops on June 4, 1989,” said Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International, Kyle Ward in a statement.
“The authorities have considered the” illegal “vigil, because the police did not approve them, but the peaceful assembly needs no state consent. These beliefs simply underline the pattern of extreme efforts of Hong Kong authorities to use the law to take advantage of the law.
“This has been a trend over the past year,” Hong Kong Free Press founder Tom Grundy told reporters. “Judge Amanda Woodcock ruled that Jimmy Lai didn’t really have to say anything to instigate (the event). The very fact that he showed up was a” deliberate act to garner support. and publicly expose the unauthorized gathering. ”
Lai, who turned 74 this week, founded the now-closed Apple Daily and has been in custody for almost a year. He was arrested in August 2020 and charged with collusion with foreign forces, sedition and fraud. In April 2021, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison for organizing and attending two illegal gatherings in August 2019.
