He is part of a group of 47 activists and former MPs who were arrested for appearing in an informal primary election last year.
A Hong Kong court on Thursday granted bail to a fifth pro-democracy activist and former legislator, but the bail for another was revoked after both were charged with sabotage under the National Security Act.
Hong Kong National Security Law: Five Key Facts You Need to Know
They are part of a group of 47 activists and former MPs who were arrested last year for appearing in an informal primary election aimed at determining the strongest candidates in a legislative election that would later be postponed due to an epidemic. was given.
Officials say the primary was part of a conspiracy to cripple the government and topple state power, as at least some activists planned to vote for major bills and resign Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Forced if his pro-democracy camp had benefited. Legislative majority.
The city’s High Court on Thursday granted bail to former Democratic Party MLA Helena Wong, one of the candidates in the primaries.
His bail terms include surrendering all travel documents and obeying the curfew. He is also prohibited from speaking with foreign officials, making speeches or engaging in acts that violate the National Security Act and running for office.
Despite Wong’s release, the court revoked the bail granted to another activist, District Councilor Ng Kin-wai. Ng will be remanded in custody.
Both Wong and Ng are part of a group of 15 defendants who were initially granted bail last week, although they were later held in custody while the Justice Department filed an appeal.
Prosecutors have since dropped their appeals against four other defendants, who were released last Friday. The other nine defendants will have their bail reviewed on Saturday and Monday. Last week, the remaining 32 defendants were either denied bail or their applications for bail were withdrawn, they would remain behind bars.
The next hearing is May 31. Massive allegations against activists marked the most widespread crackdown against the city’s pro-democracy camp since the National Security Act came into force last June.
Under Hong Kong’s common law and order law, defendants are usually granted bail for non-violent offenses. But the National Security Act removed the condition of bail, stating that it would not be sanctioned unless the judge had sufficient grounds to hold defendants “not to continue acts that would endanger national security.” Will keep. ” The National Security Act criminalizes segregation, sabotage, collusion with foreign forces to intervene in the affairs of the city as well as terrorism. Serious criminals may face life imprisonment.
Critics say the law, which was imposed by Beijing in response to occasional violent democracy-protests in 2019, gave Hong Kong under a “one country, two system” framework after rule from the British Raj in 1997 Destroyed rights and freedoms. .
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