The trial of 12 Hong Kong people accused of border-crossing was completed at the Yantian Court in Shenzhen, with ten of them pleading guilty. The family received a phone call from the official lawyer on Tuesday informing them that the verdict is expected to be delivered soon.
Ten Hong Kong people involved in “suspected border-crossing” and “organizing border-crossing” were tried in Yantian Court in Shenzhen on Monday. The court later announced the case on the Internet, and the verdict will be announced at a later date.
A day later, the “12 Hong Kong people concern group” said that some family members received a phone call from the official lawyer on Tuesday, 10 of them will be sentenced at 10:30 am on Wednesday. As for the remaining two minors involved in the case of Hong Kong people, the hearing date is yet to be notified. The concern group was unable to verify the information with the court.
A lawyer appointed by the family, who asked to remain anonymous, told the station that he was not surprised that the case was sentenced on Wednesday.
Lawyer: “Two days ago I thought it was possible that the verdict would be handed down in court. It’s possible that the ten of them have already compromised inside, saying they pleaded guilty and admitted their punishment. In such a situation, the official is sure to control the trial, it is possible that they will not appeal, so there is now such a situation. The court has not pronounced the sentence in court to look a little better, if the same day the sentence will look very ugly.”
The case, which has been raging for more than four months, has attracted international attention. The trial began Monday, with representatives from several consulates requesting to sit in on the proceedings. Lawyers say the authorities may release some of the Hong Kong people involved in the case before the Chinese New Year, given the public outcry.
Hong Kong people involved in the case may confess their guilt on TV
Lawyer: “I think, they are working through, ten people have confessed to the law, may also be on television. After the television broadcast, there may be a number of people before the Spring Festival can go back to it. I think that the mainland officials want a public opinion effect, not just a legal effect.”
We asked the Yantian court about the arrangements for the sentencing, but the other side did not reply positively.
The court clerk: “The sentencing time has been announced in accordance with the law, please pay attention to the announcement. If the family wants to observe, they can follow the relevant regulations.”
Of the twelve defendants, Deng Kai Ran and Qiao Ying Yu were charged with organizing others to cross the border, while the remaining eight were charged with smuggling across the border. Deng Kai-ran’s brother told the media that the government-appointed lawyer contacted the family after the trial and said that the defendants had been cooperative in court.
Deng Kai-ran’s brother: “In the evening, the Crown Counsel called each family member. Everyone received the same message, saying that the process was well behaved and that they pleaded guilty. When asked again about the next court date, they all said they didn’t know and had to wait for the court to notify them.”
The court did not pronounce a sentence in court and does not conform to mainland practice
For its part, the official CNA news agency reported that the court heard the defense of the ten defendants against the prosecution’s charges of alleged border-crossing crimes, and heard the prosecution and defense arguments. Ten people, including Deng Kai Ran and Qiao Yingyu, pleaded guilty in court and hoped the court would impose lighter penalties.
According to the report, the public prosecutor accused Deng Kai Ran and Qiao Ying Yu of planning and organizing the smuggling of many people from Hong Kong to Taiwan according to the arrangement of others. In the early morning of Aug. 23 this year, Deng and Qiao contacted Zheng Zihao and other eight people and two people who were dealt with in another case to meet in Po Toi, Sai Kung, Hong Kong, and together they took a boat to smuggle people across the border; when they were passing through the waters under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, they were seized by the marine police.
The reason why the Yantian court did not deliver the verdict in court on Monday may be related to the need for the court to carry out internal approval procedures, or it may be to prevent the families or lawyers from making trouble after the verdict, and simply wait until the time to release the people, and use the gap to coordinate the handover and repatriation with the Hong Kong side.
Beijing criminal lawyer Zhang Dongshuo, on the other hand, believes that the twelve Hong Kong people belong to the major sensitive cases, the court did not pronounce the verdict in court is not in line with the usual practice.
Zhang Dongshuo: “If it involves individual cases of great complexity, such as the case of 12 Hong Kong people, where there are more suspects, it is reasonable not to pronounce the sentence in court. It is possible that the court may wish to make uniform arrangements and treatment, especially when it also involves the handling of the two minor suspects.”
Some legal professionals said that China has always advocated “plea of guilty and punishment”, the defendant can plead guilty and get up to thirty percent of the sentence reduced.
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