Hong Kong court upholds convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen and others over protester relief fund
Summary
A Hong Kong court has rejected appeals from Cardinal Joseph Zen and four others who were convicted for not registering a humanitarian fund that helped arrested protesters in 2019. They were fined for breaking a law that requires groups to register with local authorities, and the court upheld these convictions.Key Facts
- Cardinal Joseph Zen, a 94-year-old retired bishop, was a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund.
- The fund provided medical and legal aid to people arrested during 2019 anti-government protests.
- Five trustees, including Zen, singer Denise Ho, scholar Hui Po Keung, and former lawmakers Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho, were convicted in 2022 for not registering the fund.
- They each received fines of 4,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $512).
- The convictions relate to violating the Societies Ordinance, which requires organizations to register within one month of formation.
- The case is significant because it relates to freedom of association in Hong Kong amid major political changes after the 2019 protests.
- All five were previously arrested in 2022 on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces under the national security law but were not charged under that law.
- The national security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020, has been used to restrict Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
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