Martin Lee, the 82-year-old barrister often called the “father of democracy” in Hong Kong, before the verdict on Thursday. Protesters demanded tha… Beijing has sought to depict several of the opposition figures as subversive elements working with hostile foreign forces to undermine Chinese sovereignty. an annual report on Hong Kong issued Wednesday. ... Marchers packed the streets in an antigovernment protest in Hong Kong on Aug. 18, 2019. Credit... Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times. The defendants, including the media tycoon Jimmy Lai and the barristers Martin Lee and Margaret Ng, were some of the city’s most prominent activists. That gathering had received police approval. David Perry, a prominent British lawyer who was hired to lead the prosecution, dropped the case after coming under sharp criticism at home. The State Department, in an annual report on Hong Kong issued Wednesday, said that the Hong Kong government “did not respect” the right to free assembly provided under local law, and that by imposing a national security law last year, China had “dramatically undermined rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.”. Last modified on Wed 3 Feb 2021 11.15 EST. Die Justiz in Hongkong geht immer härter gegen Anhänger der Demokratiebewegung des Stadtstaats vor. Police said they arrested a 34-year-old man who refused to show his credentials when attempting to enter the courthouse. The charges against the 47 activists mark a sweeping escalation in … Published March 31, 2021 Updated April 7, 2021. Mr. Lai, the media tycoon, has been charged in a separate national security case on accusations of lobbying for American sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials. Four defendants were sent to the hospital after the marathon hearing, which prompted the magistrate to adjourn the case for several hours. Eventually, the police did not pursue the blocking of the sites. Forty-seven pro-democracy politicians and activists have been charged with subversion under that law for participating in an election primary that prosecutors say was part of a plan to subvert the government. The Hong Kong protests were a popular uprising against the marginalization by the CCP of the democratically elected government of Hong Kong. Inside the courthouse, all seats in the public gallery were filled, mostly by people dressed in all black in support for the pro-democracy movement. Alan Leong, a lawyer and politician representing four of the defendants, said the charges filed on Sunday would be remembered as a "challenge on Hong Kong's fair electoral system" and criticized prosecutors for bringing charges without sufficient evidence. Nun wurde ein Teenager wegen Randale und Brandstiftung verurteilt. Demonstrators peacefully left the area by the evening. Hong Kong has been hit with another day of turmoil Tuesday after a man was shot by a police officer and another set alight following a confrontation with protesters … Prosecutors had argued in court that the defendants were involved in a "massive and well-organized scheme to subvert the Hong Kong government" by organizing and participating in an unofficial primary election last July. Updated: 4:50pm, 9 Apr, 2021… The protest was the largest seen in the city for months, with those gathered chanting the banned slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong! A judge in Hong Kong on Thursday convicted seven pro-democracy protest leaders on charges of organizing and participating in an unlawful assembly during mass protests … HONG KONG — Seven of Hong Kong’s veteran pro-democracy leaders were found guilty on Thursday of unauthorized assembly, a verdict seen by their supporters as a severe assault on the freedom of speech and other civil liberties that once were core to the city’s identity. The protests that summer were focused at first on a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China but expanded to include demands for direct elections and an investigation into the use of force by the police. Critics of this view say the ruling Communist Party is only deflecting the true democratic aspirations of the Hong Kong people. “But it’s a badge of honor for us that we are convicted for walking together with the people of Hong Kong for democracy and freedom.”. Hundreds of demonstrators came out to support those being held, despite public health measures that ban gatherings of more than four people and the government's increasing crackdown on political protest. The authorities have also used a sweeping new national security law to quash protests and cripple the opposition movement. Their lawyers argued that leading protesters out of the park, which had filled with many more people than it could handle, was necessary for public safety. Hong Kong protests: former pro-independence group member pleads guilty to possessing 1kg of high explosives, faces 20 years’ jail ... 2021. 7 Apr 2021 0 2:56 Bar owners in Hong Kong staged a symbolic hunger strike on Monday to protest the city government’s ongoing coronavirus restrictions, which have forced bars to remain closed while allowing other businesses, such as restaurants, to reopen. Hong Kong’s youth believe they are engaged in an existential struggle for the future of their region. "Any illegal activities should be punished by law, which is a principle … China is firing back at Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments this weekend on Hong Kong, calling them "foreign interference." "It is not just the 47 defendants who are just facing charges here today, but also the Hong Kong judicial system and the spirit of rule of law," Leong said. Jump to latest. "Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs and allow for no foreign interference," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told China Daily, Newsweek reported Thursday. In … “It is about discrediting their lifetime contributions to Hong Kong, to the movement, to workers, to grass-roots, to individuals and their professions.”. and carrying placards demanding the release of those rounded up under the sweeping legislation. The massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong first broke out in 2019. The legislative elections were supposed to be held in September but were eventually postponed due to the. More than 2,400 people have been charged as the authorities sought to quash the movement, which had posed the greatest challenge to Beijing’s rule in decades. Hong Kong’s protesters have employed innovative tactics to stay safe and evade the police. April 2019 in den Legislativrat, das Parlament von Hongkong, eingebrachten Fassung die Auslieferung von mutmaßlichen Straftätern an Festlandchina rechtlich ermöglichen sollte. They also said that imprisoning them over a peaceful march was a heavy-handed application of the law. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and others had previously promised the law would be limited in effect, and only target a small number of fringe activists. The lawyer Margaret Ng in May. Of those, more than 2,400 have faced charges. The others who were convicted Thursday were the former lawmakers Cyd Ho and Leung Kwok-hung. By Published June 8, 2020. The prosecution of the city’s pro-democracy leaders over a peaceful protest has drawn an international outcry. A timeline of the developments surrounding the extradition amendments introduced by the Hong Kong SAR government, which triggered a series of mass demonstrations, including a march of an estimated two million people on June 16, 2019, the largest in Hong Kong’s history. A large police presence outside the courthouse in the city's West Kowloon district attempted to disperse the crowds, warning that those gathered could also be violating the national security law. Isaac Lawrence/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images. Before the hearing, some of the defendants rallied outside the court, holding a banner that read, “Oppose Political Persecution; Protest Political Suppression.” Inside the courtroom, supporters seated in the gallery cheered them on, shouting: “Keep up your spirits!”. Hong Kong's top health official has claimed that tear gas used by police on protesters poses no public health risk, days after police were reported to use the gas at a university campus. The Hong Kong protests were sparked by a proposed extradition law that would have allowed some offenses committed in Hong Kong to be tried by mainland Chinese courts. HONG KONG (AP) — Seven pro-democracy advocates were convicted Thursday for organizing and participating in an unlawful assembly during massive anti-government protests … The trial took 20 days, twice as long as had been scheduled. Human rights advocates were sharply critical of the convictions, labeling them as part of an effort to undermine the long-running campaign for democracy in Hong Kong. Hong Kong police have arrested more than 10,200 people in connection with the anti-government protests in the 20 months since mid-2019, with … It started with a mass protest on June 9, 2019 to demand the withdrawal of the government’s extradition bill which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China, Macau and Taiwan. They each face up to five years in prison, and sentences will be handed down on April 16. The man, who is surnamed Yao, is a lawyer representing some of the defendants, according to his law firm, Bond Ng Solicitors. Mon 15 Feb 2021 23.29 EST 5 Nine high-profile activists and pro-democracy figures have gone on trial in Hong Kong in one of the biggest court cases linked to the protest … Trotz der massiven Demonstrationen bestand die Regierung einige Tage auf der Verabschiedung des Gesetzentwurfs, der nach der am 3. Hong Kong Court Convicts Democracy Leaders Over Protest March, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/world/asia/hong-kong-democracy-protest.html. Carrie Lam continued to push for the second reading of the bill despite a mass anti-extradition bill protest, saying that the government was "duty-bound" to amend the law. While there was no violence and minimal disorder, prosecutors argued that the march violated Hong Kong’s public order ordinance. Cases under the legislation are handled by a dedicated branch of the Hong Kong police and judges assigned to hear national security cases. Another former lawmaker, Au Nok-hin, 33, had previously pleaded guilty to both charges, while Leung Yiu-chung, 67, had pleaded guilty to a single charge of participating in the protest. Under their previous bail agreements, they weren't required to check in with police until early April. A Hong Kong court found Martin Lee, who helped lead the pro-democracy camp during the former British colony’s transition to Chinese rule, and Jimmy … Sie behauptete, der Gesetzentwurf sei dringlich, weil er eine rechtliche Lücke … The charges against the 47 activists mark a sweeping escalation in the application of the national security law, under which previously only a handful of people had been charged and taken to court. Supporters wait outside West Kowloon court in Hong Kong on March 1, 2021. Following the 12 June conflict, both Police Commissioner Stephen Lo and Lam characterised the conflict as a "riot". A severe penalty would be seen by critics of the government as an attempt to muzzle some of the most prominent and internationally recognized figures in Hong Kong’s democracy movement. The police later backed down on the claim, saying that among the protesters, only five of them rioted. Skin in the game: Hong Kong protesters facing security law see banned slogan tattoos as ‘last inch of freedom’ "You may be arrested for putting up a sticker, waving a flag or wearing a keychain. Former law professor Benny Tai, left, arrives to court in a police van on Monday. Court proceedings lasted until the early hours of Tuesday. It came after Hong Kong's sole delegate to China's top legislative body said that only "staunch patriots" should be allowed to hold positions of authority in Hong Kong. The case centered on a rally on Aug. 18, 2019, when hundreds of thousands of people gathered in an antigovernment protest. How a Hong Kong protest evolved into an anti-government movement. They appeared in court Monday after being asked to report to police the day prior. Mr. Lee, Mr. Lai and Albert Ho, a lawyer and former lawmaker who was also convicted, have been denounced in Chinese state media as being part of a “Gang of Four” who stirred unrest in 2019, an accusation at odds with the largely leaderless movement in the streets. Hong Kong’s authorities have overseen an expansive crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the city was engulfed by antigovernment protests in 2019. The charges come less than a week after the Hong Kong government. Seven Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates have been convicted on charges of organizing and participating in massive anti-government protests in … The Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai outside the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong, in February. News of the contract was revealed on Thursday, one day before MLB announced it will move the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta, Ga., in protest of the state’s new voting law. She had previously rejected meeting the protesters, believing that such meeting would have "no purpose". Pro-democracy legislator Martin Lee arrives at a court in Hong Kong Tuesday, February 16, 2021 [Vincent Yu/ AP] Veteran activists Lee Cheuk-yan, and Leung Kwok-hung, known as … The defendants were accused of leading protesters out of Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island, beginning a march that led toward the core business district. Updated April 8, 2021. Martin Lee, an 82-year-old barrister known as the “father of democracy” in Hong Kong; Jimmy Lai, 73, a media tycoon and founder of the staunchly pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper; and Margaret Ng, 73, a respected barrister and columnist, along with four others, were convicted of participating in and organizing an unauthorized march in 2019. Hong Kong (CNN)Hundreds of protesters risked arrest to demonstrate outside a Hong Kong court, where 47 pro-democracy activists appeared Monday charged with subversion under the national security law, as authorities step up their crackdown against opposition voices. She was among those convicted on Thursday. That strategy that would be entirely legal -- and not out of the ordinary -- in parliamentary systems like the United Kingdom and Australia. Revolution of our time!" Anyone who fails to take the oath -- or is deemed to have done so in an insincere fashion -- would be immediately disqualified from office and banned from running in elections for the next five years, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang said. It would also send a strong message about how the courts may rule in several other trials this year on similar charges of illegal assembly. Western accounts of Hong Kong's political conflict exaggerate the virtues of the protestors and the vices of the authorities. By the afternoon, police could be seen cordoning off sidewalks near the court to prevent more people from gathering. The 39 men and eight women were aged between 23 and 64, and included prominent activist Joshua Wong and law professor Benny Tai. But what followed did not. In the United States, the situation was the opposite: the rioters themselves were trying to undercut the democratic process. Such contests are a normal function in democracies around the world, during which political parties select the strongest candidates for an election. “Of course we are very disappointed with the verdict, because what we have done is only exercising our constitutional right,” one defendant, the labor leader Lee Cheuk-yan, said after the hearing. CNN's Jadyn Sham, Helen Regan and James Griffiths contributed reporting. Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary, had said that Mr. Perry was “pretty mercenary” and was giving the Chinese government a public relations win. The 27-year-old former Hong Kong legislator and student activist fled to the UK in July 2020 in the weeks after the National Security Law, opposed by pro-democracy protesters, was imposed. The police in Hong Kong have arrested more than 10,000 people over the protests that began in June 2019. Pro-democracy activists gesture as they line up outside the West Kowloon court in support of the arrested activists. Updated 0421 GMT (1221 HKT) March 2, 2021. Pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-yan (C) speaks to the media outside West Kowloon Court in Hong Kong on April 1, 2021. Only a few days earlier, on March 30, 2021, the U.S. State Department published it’s 2020 Human Rights Report criticizing the human rights situation in … “This trial was also about the long history, legacy and contributions of the elder statesmen and women of the movement,” said Samuel Chu, the managing director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council. Hong Kong authorities have accused the 47 of conspiring to use the primary to win a majority in the legislature and paralyze the government, potentially forcing the city's leader to resign. The national security law criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers, and carries with it a maximum sentence of life in prison. In its 2021 … Marchers packed the streets in an antigovernment protest in Hong Kong on Aug. 18, 2019. Supporters wait outside West Kowloon court in Hong Kong on March 1, 2021. Mon 1 Feb 2021 04.30 EST. While many of the figures appearing on the headlines are male, female activists have been crucial to … During the 2019 anti-extradition protests, Hong Kong's secretary of justice filed an injunction request to the High Court prohibiting anyone from posting or re-posting “information that promotes violence,” including on the internet forum LIHKG and the message application Telegram.