Repression of Defendants Continues

The Democratic Party's Wu Chi-wai during the 2019 protests

When it comes to breaching the national security law, or perhaps any law in Hong Kong these days, there is no mercy.

Former Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai has been remanded in custody since January pending trials but has yet to be convicted of any offenses. He is facing one count of conspiracy to subvert state power under the security law for his role in an unofficial primary election last July.

Wu is also facing criminal charges in two other cases, one of which is for unauthorized assembly on July 1, 2019, when there were mass protests against the now-abandoned extradition bill; it was the day that protesters stormed the Legislative Council.

Wu is not allowed to attend his father's funeral

He was originally granted bail, but was brought back to court in connection with that case after police discovered he had breached his bail conditions by failing to hand over his British National (Overseas) passport. His bail was revoked at West Kowloon Court.

And then late last month his 92-year-old father passed away while Wu was in jail, and the Correction Services Department is refusing to allow him to attend the funeral on Friday evening; the venue and time have been made public and there have been calls online to show up in support of the 58-year-old Wu. 

The department is concerned he could be a flight risk, or if lots of people show up it could affect security at the event, and that it had a duty to protect its staff and Wu.

While the Correctional Services Department has offered to let Wu watch the ceremony via a live video link, he has refused the arrangement, and so has his family.

Many are calling the prison authorities "inhumane" in their treatment of Wu.

Lawyers for Wu have filed an urgent bail application in a last ditch attempt to get him to attend his father's funeral.

People showed up last June 4 in illegal assembly

They had hoped the application would be heard on Thursday afternoon by Court of First Instance judge Esther Toh Lye-ping, but it was scheduled for Friday morning after the Department of Justice demanded more time to prepare for the case.

The application to be heard on Friday is likely to involve arguments on whether an accused person under the national security law can be granted bail under such a rare circumstance.

Meanwhile four activists were sentenced to between four and 10 months in jail today.

Officially it is for an illegal assembly, but in reality it is for lighting up candles in Victoria Park to remember the victims of the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Joshua Wong Chi-fung got 10 months, Lester Shum six months, and Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai, and Jannelle Rosalynne Leung each four months.

While they all pleaded guilty, District Court judge Stanley Chan said there was a potential for violence that night.

Wong (centre) handed a 10-month sentence

"With the 2019 unrest still lingering, the gathering of some 20,000 participants on a special night like June 4 meant emotions could run high, and unruly elements could take advantage of the situation and incite violence," Chan said.

Twenty-two other activists have also been charged over last year's vigil, including Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Sunny Cheung, both of whom have fled Hong Kong.

Wong will serve this sentence after he has finished serving his four-month sentence for taking part in an unauthorized assembly on October 5, 2019.

It seems the authorities are finding any way they can to charge and convict young people to keep them in jail... forever.