The trial of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Huang Zhifeng will begin next Monday (November 23). He faces up to five years in prison if convicted on charges of “inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly. Huang Zhifeng told Deutsche Welle on Friday (November 20) that he faces up to five years in prison if convicted last year of “inciting others to take part in an unauthorized assembly,” according to Deutsche Welle’s November 21 report.
Despite the possibility of a longer prison term, he said he is still unwilling to give up the fight.
The bars of prison have never stopped me from protesting and thinking critically,” Huang said. Since last summer, more than 10,000 Hong Kong people have been arrested and 2,000, including me, have been prosecuted, but we still have to keep fighting.”
Huang Zhifeng is not hopeful about the upcoming judicial trial. He said, “Hong Kong’s courts are being interfered with by the Beijing authorities, and the rule of law is already dead in name only.”
On September 24, Huang Zhifeng was arrested on suspicion of unlawful assembly and violation of the Anti-Masking Rule.
He had already been charged with “inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly,” “organizing an unauthorized assembly,” and “knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly” in August of last year.
Huang ZhiFeng hopes that if he is sentenced to prison, people will continue to closely monitor developments in Hong Kong.
“I just hope that after I go to jail, people around the world will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong and keep a close eye on what’s going on – whether it’s the cancellation of the election, the mass arrests brought on by the National Security Law, or the 12 Hong Kong people being detained in China.”
Early last month, China formally approved the arrest of 12 Hong Kong activists detained in August. The families of the 12 Hong Kong people went to the observation deck in Kat O this Saturday to look across the harbor at the Yantian Detention Center and released balloons to express their wish for their families to return to Hong Kong soon.
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