The cardinal will take the podium together with five members of the democratic front. They are accused of failing to register a charity fund of which they were trustees. The defense invokes the right of association provided for by the local mini Constitution.
Hong Kong () – The West Kowloon court has scheduled the trial against Card. Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and five well-known members of the democratic front, accused of failing to properly register a humanitarian fund of which they were trustees. The decision was made known yesterday at a preliminary hearing presided over by Judge Ada Yim, the Hong Kong Free Press reported.
Police have arrested the city’s bishop emeritus and the other defendants on the much more serious charge of “collusion” with foreign forces, in violation of the draconian national security law imposed by Beijing in the summer of 2020.
Along with the cardinal, the well-known lawyer Margaret Ng, the singer and activist Denise Ho, the former parliamentarian Cyd Ho, the academician Hui Po-keung and the activist Sze Ching-wee will take the podium. Cyd Ho is already in prison for participating in an unauthorized demonstration. That accusation affected several democratic personalities, such as the Catholic tycoon Jimmy Lai, after Beijing imposed the draconian national security law in June 2020.
Until it was shut down in October last year, the 612 Fund helped thousands of pro-democracy protesters who had participated in the 2019 protests. All of the defendants have pleaded not guilty and their defense attorneys dispute that the charity was required to register. according to the Companies Ordinance. The defense also asks that the interpretation of the ordinance take into account the right of association of citizens enshrined in the local mini-Constitution (Basic Law).
Without a national security threat charge, the defendants could be fined up to $1,750.
(HKFP photo)
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