China: Hong Kong pro-democracy 'Occupy' activists defiant after guilty verdicts
Event- Country
- China
- Initial Date
- Apr 9, 2019
- Event Description
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong court on Tuesday found nine leaders of the 2014 pro-democracy "Occupy" movement guilty of public nuisance during the mass protests, in a landmark verdict as freedoms in the city ruled by mainland China come under strain. Scores of supporters applauded the defendants, who included a law professor, two legislators and former student activists, after a trial that critics said highlighted the decline of political freedoms in the former British colony. Law professor Benny Tai, 54, retired sociologist Chan Kin-man, 60, and retired pastor Chu Yiu-ming, 75 were found guilty of conspiracy to commit public nuisance over their leading role in planning and mobilizing supporters during the 79-day protest. The trio had pleaded not guilty to all charges, which carry a maximum jail term of seven years each. The judge did not immediately hand down sentences, and the defendants have not said if they planned to appeal. "I am determined to fight for Hong Kong with one last effort, and to walk with Hong Kong people one step further" Chu said in a passionate final speech in court, despite being in poor health. "We have no regrets ... we have not given up" he said, moving some witnesses to tears, and spurring sustained applause from supporters. Outside the court, some punched their fists in the air and shouted, "We want universal suffrage." Others sobbed as supporters called them "fearless and invincible". The concept of civil disobedience is "recognized in Hong Kong", Justice Johnny Chan said in a summary of his judgment, but it was not a defense against a criminal charge. "The offense of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance does not have the undesirable effect of curtailing or suppressing civil disobedience at its formation stage or suppressing human rights as the defendants contended" it read. Since the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997, critics say Beijing has reneged on its commitment to maintain Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and freedoms under a co-called "one country, two systems" arrangement. UPDATE: On 24 April 2019, 4 of the activists were jailed including: legal scholar Professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting and sociologist Professor Chan Kin-man, who each received 16 month's imprisonment. The other two activists jailed are political party leader Raphael Wong and lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun, each sentenced to eight month's imprisonment
- Impact of Event
- 9
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- HRD
- Academic
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 22.396427
Longitude: 114.109497
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 9 April 2019, pro-democracy "Occupy� movement activists were found guilty of public nuisance for organising mass protests.