(30 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hong Kong – 30 May 2024
++STARTS ON SOUNDBITE++
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Li Kwai-wah, Police Superintendent for National Security:
“The National Police Department of the Hong Kong Police welcome to court conviction of the 14 defendants who have entered the not guilty pleads to the offence who have defended of the beyond reasonable doubt. In the judgment, you can see that the court regarded these as very serious cases and there will be some conspiracy intent amongst each defendants. Note, they have different roles, but you can see that they are the lawless and basically commit a crime.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Li Kwai-wah, Police Superintendent for National Security:
“As well as the two acquitted defendants is concerned, I am aware that the prosecutors have already indicated their intent to file another appeal for both. And in according to the Section 81DB of the Criminal Proceeding Ordinance, the court has retained the bail condition for both.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Li Kwai-wah, Police Superintendent for National Security:
“You can see that we enjoy certain degrees of a stable (period), for three years ago weren’t good days. But at that time, if we did not make a decision to annul the whole syndicate, I think maybe we would have a life following the ‘ten steps of mutual destruction,’ which is suggested by some of the defendents in the cases. I don’t think that the Hong Kong people will like to live in a society full of protests, standstills and the sanctions by other countries.”
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Hong Kong police welcomed a court decision to convict 14 pro-democracy activists in the territory’s biggest national security case on Thursday.
The court said their plan to effect change through an unofficial primary election would have undermined the government’s authority and created a constitutional crisis.
After a 2019 protest movement that filled the city’s streets with demonstrators, authorities have all but silenced dissent in Hong Kong through reduced public choice in elections, crackdowns on media and the Beijing-imposed security law under which the activists were convicted.
Those found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion included former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung, Lam Cheuk-ting, Helena Wong and Raymond Chan, and they could face up to life in prison when sentenced later.
The two defendants acquitted were former district councilors Lee Yue-shun and Lawrence Lau. But the prosecution said it intends to appeal against the acquittals.
The activists were among 47 democracy advocates who were prosecuted in 2021.
Prosecutors had accused them of attempting to paralyze Hong Kong’s government and topple the city’s leader by securing the legislative majority necessary to indiscriminately veto budgets.
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