Leung Kwok-hung and eight others were charged with 7.1 ‘Illegal procession’. A group of defendants and supporters, before appearing in court this morning, held banners in their hands and chanted slogans such as’ Shame on political prosecution, release of all political prisoners’ and ‘Five demands, none of which is indispensable’.
This year, the Hong Kong government cracked down on the freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Basic Law in the name of “the epidemic”, and the MARCH of THE DEMOCRATIC Front on July 1 was banned by the police with a notice of objection. On that day, an unauthorized parade was held on Hong Kong Island as usual. Police later arrested eight former legislator leung Kwok-hung and MARU convenor Chan Hao-hwan for “inciting others, holding and participating in unauthorised gatherings”. They all appeared in The West Kowloon Court on Thursday (March 17). The eight defendants were each held on HK $1,000 bail. They will not be allowed to leave Hong Kong for the period. The case was adjourned until February 8 next year, pending transfer of documents by the prosecution.
A number of defendants and supporters, holding banners before appearing in court this morning, chanted slogans such as “Shame on political prosecution, release of all political prisoners” and “Five demands, none of which is indispensable”. Chen Haohuan, one of the defendants and convener of THE RUF, pointed out: “Our brothers were forced into exile, and many of them ended up as political prisoners.”
The eight defendants are Mr Leung Kwok-hung, former Democratic Party chairman Ho Chi Wai, former Legislative Councillor Eddie Chu, CONVENor chan Ho-hwan, Social Services Lian Tang, and three Members of the Eastern District Council, Mr Tsang Kin-shing (A Niu), Mr Tsui TSZ Chien and Mr Chan Wing-tai.
They each face a total of three charges. Chen Haowan, Tsang Kin-shing, Xu Zijian, Ho Chi Wai and Chen Wing-tai, accused of inciting others to march outside the Court of Final Appeal on June 30 this year in violation of the PUBLIC Security Ordinance, were charged with one count of “inciting others to knowingly participate in an unauthorized assembly”. Separately, Mr Chan, Mr Tsui, Mr Ho Chi Wai, Mr Andy Chu, Mr Leung Kwok-hung and Mr Tang Sai Lee were charged with one count of “holding or organizing an unauthorized assembly” for holding a public parade on Hennessy Road and Du Lao Chi Road in Wan Chai on July 1 this year.
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