Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#FreeJimmyLai #AppleDaily
Mike Pompeo and Mike Pence go to bat for imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon #JimmyLai
Top US officials are speaking out against the arrest and imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily.
U.S. Secretary of State #MikePompeo tweeted on the morning of Dec 12, 2020 (Asia time) that the Hong Kong's national security law “makes a mockery of justice.” He called for Lai's release, saying his only crime is speaking the truth about China's authoritarian Communist Party government.
Separately, US Vice President #MikePence also tweeted in support of Lai, “Today’s charges against Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong are an affront to freedom loving people around everywhere.”
Pence wrote. “Jimmy Lai is a hero and I remain inspired by his stand for democracy & the rights that were promised to the people of Hong Kong.”
Sources: Pompeo’s Twitter; New York Post #Dec12
Image: Stand News
https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1337577721048784896?s=09
https://nypost.com/2020/12/12/us-officials-go-to-bat-for-imprisoned-hong-kong-tycoon-jimmy-lai/
#NationalSecurityLaw #PoliticalProsecution #CCP
Mike Pompeo and Mike Pence go to bat for imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon #JimmyLai
Top US officials are speaking out against the arrest and imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily.
U.S. Secretary of State #MikePompeo tweeted on the morning of Dec 12, 2020 (Asia time) that the Hong Kong's national security law “makes a mockery of justice.” He called for Lai's release, saying his only crime is speaking the truth about China's authoritarian Communist Party government.
Separately, US Vice President #MikePence also tweeted in support of Lai, “Today’s charges against Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong are an affront to freedom loving people around everywhere.”
Pence wrote. “Jimmy Lai is a hero and I remain inspired by his stand for democracy & the rights that were promised to the people of Hong Kong.”
Sources: Pompeo’s Twitter; New York Post #Dec12
Image: Stand News
https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1337577721048784896?s=09
https://nypost.com/2020/12/12/us-officials-go-to-bat-for-imprisoned-hong-kong-tycoon-jimmy-lai/
#NationalSecurityLaw #PoliticalProsecution #CCP
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#PoliticalProsecution
#HumanitarianCrisis
HK Police Targets Good Neighbour North District Church, Demands Full Staff List
On December 7, 2020, the bank accounts of the Good Neighbour North District Church were frozen, one staff and one former executive were arrested.
According to Ka-Tung Lau, a social worker at the Church who has been brought to the police station for investigation, 30 staff members and 400 services for teenagers and homeless people were affected by this police action.
Lau could not comment on the financial status of the Church as he was still seeking legal advice, but he mentioned that the police asked the arrestees to provide a full staff list of the Church.
The staff now were very worried about being arrested, but they were still willing to provide church service as usual even though the Church was unable to pay their salary.
Source: Stand News #Dec11
#LauKaTung #SocialWorker
#GoodNeighbourNorthDistrictChurch #Homeless #HSBC #FrozenAccount #PoliceState
====
Related News:
#PoliticalRetaliation #BankSystem
#HSBC Freezes Assets of the Good Neighbour North District Church
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/27161
HK Police Freeze Charity Church's Account, Arrest at Least 2 Members, Take Away a Social Work and Raid 3 Homeless Hostels
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/27184
#HumanitarianCrisis
HK Police Targets Good Neighbour North District Church, Demands Full Staff List
On December 7, 2020, the bank accounts of the Good Neighbour North District Church were frozen, one staff and one former executive were arrested.
According to Ka-Tung Lau, a social worker at the Church who has been brought to the police station for investigation, 30 staff members and 400 services for teenagers and homeless people were affected by this police action.
Lau could not comment on the financial status of the Church as he was still seeking legal advice, but he mentioned that the police asked the arrestees to provide a full staff list of the Church.
The staff now were very worried about being arrested, but they were still willing to provide church service as usual even though the Church was unable to pay their salary.
Source: Stand News #Dec11
#LauKaTung #SocialWorker
#GoodNeighbourNorthDistrictChurch #Homeless #HSBC #FrozenAccount #PoliceState
====
Related News:
#PoliticalRetaliation #BankSystem
#HSBC Freezes Assets of the Good Neighbour North District Church
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/27161
HK Police Freeze Charity Church's Account, Arrest at Least 2 Members, Take Away a Social Work and Raid 3 Homeless Hostels
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/27184
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Court
8 Pro-democracy Hongkongers jailed for 4.5 months to 14 months for inciting June 4 rallies
The Hong Kong police banned the June 4 rally in Victoria Park in 2020 on the grounds of pandemic prevention, and a number of members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC; the Alliance) and pan-democrats were later charged with inciting, holding and participating in an unauthorised rally.
Among them, five pleaded guilty before the trial, while three pleaded not guilty and were convicted after the trial, and were jailed for four months and two weeks to 14 months on 13 December, 2021.
#TonyeeChow Hang-tung made her own plea, stressing that the collapse of political space struck a harder blow to Hongkongers than the epidemic, and that the court dismissed the political suppression of Hongkongers in the name of epidemic prevention.
#JimmyLai Chee-ying also wrote a letter of plea, saying, “If commemorating those who died because of injustice is a crime, then inflict on me that crime and let me suffer the punishment of this crime”.
However, Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock criticised the defendants for ignoring the risks posed by the pandemic and for their arrogance and misconception of believing that the right to assembly was more important than safeguarding public health.
Among them, Lee Cheuk-yan, Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong and Leung Yiu-chung, who committed the offences while on bail then, had their sentences were increased by three months.
Lee Cheuk-yan, who had a leading role in inciting, organising and participating in the rally, received the heaviest sentence of 14 months. For incitement and participation, Richard Tsoi, Leung Yiu-chung and Leung Kam-wai were sentenced to 12 months, 9 months and 9 months of imprisonment respectively. Wu Chi-wai was sentenced to four months and two weeks of imprisonment for his participation.
Of the three who pleaded not guilty, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to an additional three months for offences committed while on bail, totaling out to 13 months in imprisonment for incitement. Tonyee Chow was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment for incitement and participation, while Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for participating.
Lee Cheuk-yan and Jimmy Lai’s sentences were to be served concurrently with the other assembly cases and no additional prison time was required, leaving the total sentence for all cases at 20 months for the time being.
Source: HK Citizens' News #Jan13
https://www.hkcnews.com/article/49003/%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1-%E9%84%92%E5%B9%B8%E5%BD%A4-%E4%BD%95%E6%A1%82%E8%97%8D-49015/%E3%80%90%E7%85%BD%E6%83%91%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E9%9B%86%E6%9C%83%E6%A1%88%E3%80%918%E8%A2%AB%E5%91%8A%E5%9B%9A4%E5%80%8B%E5%8D%8A%E6%9C%88%E8%87%B314%E6%9C%88-%E5%AE%98%E6%96%A5%E8%87%AA%E5%A4%A7%E5%8F%AA%E9%87%8D%E9%9B%86%E6%9C%83%E6%AC%8A%E5%88%A9%E6%BC%A0%E8%A6%96%E7%96%AB%E6%83%85-%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1%EF%BC%9A%E8%8B%A5%E6%82%BC%E5%BF%B5%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E6%98%AF%E7%BD%AA-%E5%B0%B1%E8%AE%93%E6%88%91%E8%83%8C%E8%B2%A0
#June4 #Massacre #Vigil #PoliticalProsecution
8 Pro-democracy Hongkongers jailed for 4.5 months to 14 months for inciting June 4 rallies
The Hong Kong police banned the June 4 rally in Victoria Park in 2020 on the grounds of pandemic prevention, and a number of members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC; the Alliance) and pan-democrats were later charged with inciting, holding and participating in an unauthorised rally.
Among them, five pleaded guilty before the trial, while three pleaded not guilty and were convicted after the trial, and were jailed for four months and two weeks to 14 months on 13 December, 2021.
#TonyeeChow Hang-tung made her own plea, stressing that the collapse of political space struck a harder blow to Hongkongers than the epidemic, and that the court dismissed the political suppression of Hongkongers in the name of epidemic prevention.
#JimmyLai Chee-ying also wrote a letter of plea, saying, “If commemorating those who died because of injustice is a crime, then inflict on me that crime and let me suffer the punishment of this crime”.
However, Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock criticised the defendants for ignoring the risks posed by the pandemic and for their arrogance and misconception of believing that the right to assembly was more important than safeguarding public health.
Among them, Lee Cheuk-yan, Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong and Leung Yiu-chung, who committed the offences while on bail then, had their sentences were increased by three months.
Lee Cheuk-yan, who had a leading role in inciting, organising and participating in the rally, received the heaviest sentence of 14 months. For incitement and participation, Richard Tsoi, Leung Yiu-chung and Leung Kam-wai were sentenced to 12 months, 9 months and 9 months of imprisonment respectively. Wu Chi-wai was sentenced to four months and two weeks of imprisonment for his participation.
Of the three who pleaded not guilty, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to an additional three months for offences committed while on bail, totaling out to 13 months in imprisonment for incitement. Tonyee Chow was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment for incitement and participation, while Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for participating.
Lee Cheuk-yan and Jimmy Lai’s sentences were to be served concurrently with the other assembly cases and no additional prison time was required, leaving the total sentence for all cases at 20 months for the time being.
Source: HK Citizens' News #Jan13
https://www.hkcnews.com/article/49003/%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1-%E9%84%92%E5%B9%B8%E5%BD%A4-%E4%BD%95%E6%A1%82%E8%97%8D-49015/%E3%80%90%E7%85%BD%E6%83%91%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E9%9B%86%E6%9C%83%E6%A1%88%E3%80%918%E8%A2%AB%E5%91%8A%E5%9B%9A4%E5%80%8B%E5%8D%8A%E6%9C%88%E8%87%B314%E6%9C%88-%E5%AE%98%E6%96%A5%E8%87%AA%E5%A4%A7%E5%8F%AA%E9%87%8D%E9%9B%86%E6%9C%83%E6%AC%8A%E5%88%A9%E6%BC%A0%E8%A6%96%E7%96%AB%E6%83%85-%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1%EF%BC%9A%E8%8B%A5%E6%82%BC%E5%BF%B5%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E6%98%AF%E7%BD%AA-%E5%B0%B1%E8%AE%93%E6%88%91%E8%83%8C%E8%B2%A0
#June4 #Massacre #Vigil #PoliticalProsecution
眾新聞
【煽惑六四集會案】8被告囚4個半月至14月 官斥自大只重集會權利漠視疫情 黎智英：若悼念六四是罪 就讓我背負
警方去年以防疫為由禁止維園六四集會，多名支聯會成員和泛民主派人士事後被控煽惑、舉行及參與未經批准集結等罪。8人於開審前認罪或審訊後被定罪，今（13日）被判囚4個月2星期至14個月。
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#CCP
Crackdown on Stand News is China's First Step in Controlling the World's Narrative, says Former #NextDigital Director
The day after Stand News was forced to shut down by Hong Kong Police, Hong Kong Democracy Council (#HKDC) held a rapid response virtual briefing on December 30, 2021, in which the speakers urged the international community to closely monitor the developing situation.
Not only is freedom of press under attack in Hong Kong, they said, the incident also signifies important future challenges, such as the possibility of China manipulating the world in the future.
The invited speakers were #ThomasKellogg, executive director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University; and #MarkClifford, former independent non-executive director of Next Digital.
As a former director of Next Media, Clifford saw firsthand the government's oppression against Apple Daily, which began even before the National Security Law (#NSL) took effect on June 30, 2020. The crackdown against Stand News had been rumored to be coming for some time; even so, when it finally became reality, Clifford felt it deeply.
"What's happening at Stand News is tragic," Clifford said, "Perhaps not a complete surprise, because we have seen what happened at Apple Daily. It's extraordinary when you're on the other end of state power - unchecked state power. In a city like Hong Kong, it's hard to believe."
The arrests and forced closure of Stand News happened soon after the conclusion of the legislative elections. Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang had twice written to the Wall Street Journal to criticize their reporting of the Hong Kong Elections, even calling its editorials "sickening".
Clifford said that this had not been a coincidence; rather, it reflects the Chinese Communist Party's ambitions to control the world's narrative.
Source: VOA Chinese #Dec30
https://www.voachinese.com/a/experts-analysis-on-hong-kong-standard-news-forced-closure-20211230/6376727.html
Video of the HKDC Rapid Response Virtual Briefing:
https://www.facebook.com/hkdc.us/videos/958932114740331/
#StandNewsCrackdown #NationalSecurityLaw #FreedomOfPress #Media #PoliticalProsecution
Crackdown on Stand News is China's First Step in Controlling the World's Narrative, says Former #NextDigital Director
The day after Stand News was forced to shut down by Hong Kong Police, Hong Kong Democracy Council (#HKDC) held a rapid response virtual briefing on December 30, 2021, in which the speakers urged the international community to closely monitor the developing situation.
Not only is freedom of press under attack in Hong Kong, they said, the incident also signifies important future challenges, such as the possibility of China manipulating the world in the future.
The invited speakers were #ThomasKellogg, executive director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University; and #MarkClifford, former independent non-executive director of Next Digital.
As a former director of Next Media, Clifford saw firsthand the government's oppression against Apple Daily, which began even before the National Security Law (#NSL) took effect on June 30, 2020. The crackdown against Stand News had been rumored to be coming for some time; even so, when it finally became reality, Clifford felt it deeply.
"What's happening at Stand News is tragic," Clifford said, "Perhaps not a complete surprise, because we have seen what happened at Apple Daily. It's extraordinary when you're on the other end of state power - unchecked state power. In a city like Hong Kong, it's hard to believe."
The arrests and forced closure of Stand News happened soon after the conclusion of the legislative elections. Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang had twice written to the Wall Street Journal to criticize their reporting of the Hong Kong Elections, even calling its editorials "sickening".
Clifford said that this had not been a coincidence; rather, it reflects the Chinese Communist Party's ambitions to control the world's narrative.
Source: VOA Chinese #Dec30
https://www.voachinese.com/a/experts-analysis-on-hong-kong-standard-news-forced-closure-20211230/6376727.html
Video of the HKDC Rapid Response Virtual Briefing:
https://www.facebook.com/hkdc.us/videos/958932114740331/
#StandNewsCrackdown #NationalSecurityLaw #FreedomOfPress #Media #PoliticalProsecution
美国之音
壹传媒前高层：香港打压《立场新闻》是中共试图控制世界话语权的一步
香港网媒《立场新闻》被迫关闭事件持续发展之际，长期关心香港局势发展的外籍传媒人士与法律学者促请，国际社会不应袖手旁观，应关注事态发展，这不仅事关香港新闻自由遭受攻击，还关系到世界将来会否受到中国操控等重要挑战。