Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Court #PoliticalPrisoner
#JoshuaWong: Don't Let the World Change Us
In almost 2 years since the Anti-ELAB movement broke out in 2019, Hong Kong's representative figures of the pro-democracy "resistance" camp are either in jail or in exile.
Among them, former lawmaker #EddieChu, former journalist #GywnethHo, district councillors #LesterShum and #TiffanyYuen have been detained and denied bail since late February 2021. They are among the 47 pro-democracy activists arrested for joining the primary election in 2020.
Former chair of #Demisisto #NathanLaw and former spokesman for the Hong Kong Higher Institutions International Affairs Delegation (#HKIAD) #SunnyCheung have to sever ties with their family in Hong Kong and live in exile.
On March 30, 2021, district councillor #JannelleLeung and activist Joshua Wong, alongside Shum and Yuen, were trialed for taking part in an "unauthorised assembly" on #June4 in Victoria Park in 2020.
They were among 24 pro-democracy figures who were charged for participating in the annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 #TiananmenSquareMassacre in Beijing. The vigil was for the first time banned by the Hong Kong police in 2020. It is still uncertain that whether the annual rally could be held in 2021.
The four pro-democracy activists admitted to joining the rally and were remanded in custody. In the courtroom, Joshua Wong yelled, "Even if we cannot change the world, don't let the world change us."
The 24-year-old Wong is currently serving his sentence for surrounding the police headquarters during the #AntiELAB protest, while being additionally charged with other offences connecting to the primary election and June 4th #vigil.
Source: Stand News #Mar30
https://bit.ly/333JeXD
#PoliticalSuppression #PoliceState #47Democrats
#JoshuaWong: Don't Let the World Change Us
In almost 2 years since the Anti-ELAB movement broke out in 2019, Hong Kong's representative figures of the pro-democracy "resistance" camp are either in jail or in exile.
Among them, former lawmaker #EddieChu, former journalist #GywnethHo, district councillors #LesterShum and #TiffanyYuen have been detained and denied bail since late February 2021. They are among the 47 pro-democracy activists arrested for joining the primary election in 2020.
Former chair of #Demisisto #NathanLaw and former spokesman for the Hong Kong Higher Institutions International Affairs Delegation (#HKIAD) #SunnyCheung have to sever ties with their family in Hong Kong and live in exile.
On March 30, 2021, district councillor #JannelleLeung and activist Joshua Wong, alongside Shum and Yuen, were trialed for taking part in an "unauthorised assembly" on #June4 in Victoria Park in 2020.
They were among 24 pro-democracy figures who were charged for participating in the annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 #TiananmenSquareMassacre in Beijing. The vigil was for the first time banned by the Hong Kong police in 2020. It is still uncertain that whether the annual rally could be held in 2021.
The four pro-democracy activists admitted to joining the rally and were remanded in custody. In the courtroom, Joshua Wong yelled, "Even if we cannot change the world, don't let the world change us."
The 24-year-old Wong is currently serving his sentence for surrounding the police headquarters during the #AntiELAB protest, while being additionally charged with other offences connecting to the primary election and June 4th #vigil.
Source: Stand News #Mar30
https://bit.ly/333JeXD
#PoliticalSuppression #PoliceState #47Democrats
立場新聞 Stand News
【六四集會案】黃之鋒岑敖暉等 4人認罪 梁凱晴首次還押 5.6 判刑 官：社服令不適合 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
去年6.4集會，24 名民主派人士被控煽惑他人參與未經批准集結等罪。其中黃之鋒、岑敖暉、袁嘉蔚及梁凱晴 4 人...
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#PoliticalPersecution #PoliceState
HK Pro-democracy Activist punished in solitary confinement for arbitrary offences
On July 20, 2021, Former Councilor of Southern District, #TiffanyYuen Ka-wai, had finished serving her 4-month jail term after taking part in the June 4 vigil at Victoria Park in 2020, which was banned by the police for the first time in 30 years.
At the end of her prison term, she was sent to the Lo Wu Correctional Facility to continue to be detained for charges linked to the pro-democracy camp primaries of Legislative Council election in 2020.
At the detention cell, she hugged several other pro-democracy activists also being detained.
Soon afterwards, Yuen was penalized by the authorities for “making physical contact with other prisoners” and placed in solitary confinement for 10 days.
Yuen’s friend Wong Li-li told reporters that there was no enforcement guidelines in the Correctional Services Department decision. Wong explained that “physical contacts” occur naturally in prison routines, condemning that the Department’s decision is arbitrary and targeting unfairly at Yuen.
Look into the Prison Rules in Hong Kong for offences against prison discipline, it certainly didn’t consist of making “physical contact with other prisoners," Wong said.
#HKProtest #NationalSecurityLaw #WhiteTerror #FailedState
Source: InMedia; #Jul24
https://bit.ly/3kSnwA6
#PoliticalSuppression #PoliticalActivists #Prison
HK Pro-democracy Activist punished in solitary confinement for arbitrary offences
On July 20, 2021, Former Councilor of Southern District, #TiffanyYuen Ka-wai, had finished serving her 4-month jail term after taking part in the June 4 vigil at Victoria Park in 2020, which was banned by the police for the first time in 30 years.
At the end of her prison term, she was sent to the Lo Wu Correctional Facility to continue to be detained for charges linked to the pro-democracy camp primaries of Legislative Council election in 2020.
At the detention cell, she hugged several other pro-democracy activists also being detained.
Soon afterwards, Yuen was penalized by the authorities for “making physical contact with other prisoners” and placed in solitary confinement for 10 days.
Yuen’s friend Wong Li-li told reporters that there was no enforcement guidelines in the Correctional Services Department decision. Wong explained that “physical contacts” occur naturally in prison routines, condemning that the Department’s decision is arbitrary and targeting unfairly at Yuen.
Look into the Prison Rules in Hong Kong for offences against prison discipline, it certainly didn’t consist of making “physical contact with other prisoners," Wong said.
#HKProtest #NationalSecurityLaw #WhiteTerror #FailedState
Source: InMedia; #Jul24
https://bit.ly/3kSnwA6
#PoliticalSuppression #PoliticalActivists #Prison
獨立媒體
袁嘉蔚與囚友擁抱遭罰水飯房10日 友人黃莉莉斥針對 | 獨媒報導 | 獨立媒體
（獨媒報導）前南區區議員袁嘉蔚於本月20日完成6.4案刑期，返回羅湖懲教所，續就民主派初選案還柙。袁嘉蔚在返回還押囚室時與其他囚友擁抱，被懲教以「與其他囚犯有身體接觸」為由，處罰單獨隔離囚禁10天（即俗稱的水飯房）。袁的友人黃莉莉接受《獨媒》訪問，批評懲教署執法準則模糊，指在囚人士於日常工作中亦會與其他人有肢體接觸，質疑處罰是針對袁嘉蔚。翻查《監獄規則
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#PrisonerRights
Solitary Confinement in HK Prison: 10 Days for Hugging, 7 Days for Sharing Books; Maximum Above UN Rule
"You stay in bed all day. For seven days straight. You can only go to the toilet, and it's right next to the bed."
Stand News interviewed four former prisoners who had faced solitary confinement in Hong Kong's prisons. In their experience, this punishment was handed out often, and the experience is long and painful. As sleeping pills are not permitted in prisons, they could only take painkillers to help themselves sleep.
In July, news broke that pro-democracy district councilor #TiffanyYuen had endured 10 days of solitary confinement as punishment for hugging a fellow prisoner. Lawyer and chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance #ChowHangTung, who was also in prison at the time, also faced the same punishment for 3 days for sharing postage stamps with other inmates. Others had been penalized for 7 days for exchanging books and photographs, or 3 days for sharing chocolate.
What is the metric for such punishments? According to Correctional Services' response to Stand News: "Any prisoner who commit offenses against prison discipline as described under clause 61 of the Prison Rules [1] will be prosecuted by the Services according to the rules. If a disciplinary hearing determines that the prisoner have violated the rules, then the Services will impose punishments according to clause 63 of the Prison Rules. If the prisoner disagrees with the ruling, they may appeal it according to established procedures."
The prison rules of Hong Kong sets an upper limit for solitary confinement at 28 days. However, according to the United Nations' "Nelson Mandela Rules" - adopted in 2015 and named in honor of the former president of South Africa and activist for human rights, equality, democracy, and peace - prisons should prohibit solitary confinement longer than 15 days.
Furthermore, the UN Committee Against Torture had published a report in 2016, in which the committee expressed concern with the maximum length of solitary confinement in Hong Kong prisons. It also called to attention the rule of "removal from association" - forbidding prisoners from associating with others on vague grounds such as "for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in the interests of a prisoner".
Though the report made several recommendations to Hong Kong for clarifying the rules and bringing the limits of punishments to be closer to the Nelson Mandela Rules, prisoners released this year still reports that solitary confinement remains a common punishment. According to data from Correctional Services, there were 3181 instances of solitary confinement handed out among 14689 prisoners in 2019. This number had been above 3000 every year since 2016.
The Correctional Services did not comment when asked if it had implemented the UN committee's suggestions, and if it would reduce or abolish solitary confinement as a punishment.
[1] Cap. 234A Prison Rules: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap234A!en-zh-Hant-HK?xpid=ID_1438402870147_001&INDEX_CS=N
#HumanRights #PoliceState
Source: Stand News; #Sept2
https://www.thestandnews.com/society/%E5%9B%9A%E6%AC%8A%E6%B0%B4%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%BF%E7%9B%B8%E6%93%81%E5%9B%9A%E4%B8%83%E6%97%A5-%E6%8F%9B%E6%9B%B8%E5%9B%B0%E5%8D%81%E5%A4%A9-%E7%8D%A8%E5%9B%9A%E6%9C%80%E9%95%B728%E6%97%A5-%E8%B6%85%E5%87%BA%E8%81%AF%E5%90%88%E5%9C%8B%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87
Solitary Confinement in HK Prison: 10 Days for Hugging, 7 Days for Sharing Books; Maximum Above UN Rule
"You stay in bed all day. For seven days straight. You can only go to the toilet, and it's right next to the bed."
Stand News interviewed four former prisoners who had faced solitary confinement in Hong Kong's prisons. In their experience, this punishment was handed out often, and the experience is long and painful. As sleeping pills are not permitted in prisons, they could only take painkillers to help themselves sleep.
In July, news broke that pro-democracy district councilor #TiffanyYuen had endured 10 days of solitary confinement as punishment for hugging a fellow prisoner. Lawyer and chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance #ChowHangTung, who was also in prison at the time, also faced the same punishment for 3 days for sharing postage stamps with other inmates. Others had been penalized for 7 days for exchanging books and photographs, or 3 days for sharing chocolate.
What is the metric for such punishments? According to Correctional Services' response to Stand News: "Any prisoner who commit offenses against prison discipline as described under clause 61 of the Prison Rules [1] will be prosecuted by the Services according to the rules. If a disciplinary hearing determines that the prisoner have violated the rules, then the Services will impose punishments according to clause 63 of the Prison Rules. If the prisoner disagrees with the ruling, they may appeal it according to established procedures."
The prison rules of Hong Kong sets an upper limit for solitary confinement at 28 days. However, according to the United Nations' "Nelson Mandela Rules" - adopted in 2015 and named in honor of the former president of South Africa and activist for human rights, equality, democracy, and peace - prisons should prohibit solitary confinement longer than 15 days.
Furthermore, the UN Committee Against Torture had published a report in 2016, in which the committee expressed concern with the maximum length of solitary confinement in Hong Kong prisons. It also called to attention the rule of "removal from association" - forbidding prisoners from associating with others on vague grounds such as "for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in the interests of a prisoner".
Though the report made several recommendations to Hong Kong for clarifying the rules and bringing the limits of punishments to be closer to the Nelson Mandela Rules, prisoners released this year still reports that solitary confinement remains a common punishment. According to data from Correctional Services, there were 3181 instances of solitary confinement handed out among 14689 prisoners in 2019. This number had been above 3000 every year since 2016.
The Correctional Services did not comment when asked if it had implemented the UN committee's suggestions, and if it would reduce or abolish solitary confinement as a punishment.
[1] Cap. 234A Prison Rules: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap234A!en-zh-Hant-HK?xpid=ID_1438402870147_001&INDEX_CS=N
#HumanRights #PoliceState
Source: Stand News; #Sept2
https://www.thestandnews.com/society/%E5%9B%9A%E6%AC%8A%E6%B0%B4%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%BF%E7%9B%B8%E6%93%81%E5%9B%9A%E4%B8%83%E6%97%A5-%E6%8F%9B%E6%9B%B8%E5%9B%B0%E5%8D%81%E5%A4%A9-%E7%8D%A8%E5%9B%9A%E6%9C%80%E9%95%B728%E6%97%A5-%E8%B6%85%E5%87%BA%E8%81%AF%E5%90%88%E5%9C%8B%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#47Democrats #PrimaryElection #SubvertionofStatePower
#LawrenceLauWaiChung said, "Not guilty, sir," elegant as usual.
#LamCheukTing almost roared, "I don't plead guilty!"
#LeungKwokHung (a.k.a. #LongHair) said, "[I'm] Innocent. Plead not guilty."
#WinnieYuWaiMing raised her right hand and stated, "Not guilty."
The magistrate, Peter Law Tak Chuen, referred the 17 defendants to the High Court for trial.
The other 29 of them chose to plead guilty. Among them, #TiffanyYuenKaWai, #FrankieFungTatChuen, #CarolNgManYee, #GaryFanKwokWai and #HendickLuiChiHang, refused to agree all facts of the cases.
Everyone has a different way of pleading guilty:
#TiffanyYuen whispered, "Plead ah! (認呀！)."
#FergusLeungFongWai said with a tone of no choice, "Plead guilty lo! (認囉！)."
#FrankieFung said in Cantonese, "I plead guilty," then repeated in Mandarin, "I plead guilty, I know I was wrong,” causing the auditorium to laugh and #KwokKaKi thumbs up with a smile.
#LauChakFung just left his seat for the washroom, and somebody said, "he will plead guilty even in the toilet."
#JoshuaWong slowly spoke out, "Plead~ guilty~."
#LiKaTat shouted, "PG!"
#TamTakChi (a.k.a. #FastBeat) confidently said while brushing his hair, "I am 'handsome'" [Handsome has a similar sound as "plead" in Cantonese]
#WuChiWai followed, "Plead ah! (認呀！)," looking at #TamTakChi, and they both laughed.
#SamCheungHoSum declared, "I plead, I plead, I plead (認啊認啊認啊)" in one go.
#VentusLauWingHong said, "For the love of my country, I plead guilty," raising uproar among defendants.
Law, the magistrate, asked whether the 26 defendants agreed with the case.
#AuNokHin stood up at that moment and expressed heavily, "I confirmed the case, and I would like to apologise to all defendants because I could not ensure the election was legal." He then slightly bowed to the defendants.
#AndrewChiuKaYin also apologized, but expressionless, "I confirm the overall case, and I apologise to everyone who helped in the pre-election." Some defendants jeered, "What are you saying (講呢啲)?"
#TamTakChi (a.k.a #FastBeat) shouted as usual, "I agree with the plot!", followed by a severe facial expression, "I agree, I agree (同意啊、同意啊)," which brought laughter to the courtroom. He then turned around, spoke to #ClaudiaMo, "Yes, excellent!" and raised his arms to the air with thumbs up.
#LeslieShumOFai interrupted, "I am not a comedy actor."
The magistrates confirmed whether Tam agreed with the entire case. He answered, "Yes, then I agree with the full case." Law raises the question once more, "You agree?" "The plot? Yes." Tam replied
It is understood that there will be no jury at the trial. This case will be handled by three designed judges, as in the case of #TongYingKit. It reminds us of #OwenChowKaShing, who did not plead guilty and yelled at the court after the restriction on reporting was lifted, "Trial without a jury is unjust."
This was probably the most potent conclusion in West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts for a year and a half.
Source: InMedia #Aug18
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/%E7%A4%BE%E9%81%8B/%E3%80%90%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B847%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E3%80%91%E8%A8%98%E4%B8%80%E6%AC%A1%E9%95%B7%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%A9%E7%9A%84%E7%AD%94%E8%BE%AF-%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E8%AA%AA%E7%AC%91%E3%80%81%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E8%87%B4%E6%AD%89?utm_source=dable
#LawrenceLauWaiChung said, "Not guilty, sir," elegant as usual.
#LamCheukTing almost roared, "I don't plead guilty!"
#LeungKwokHung (a.k.a. #LongHair) said, "[I'm] Innocent. Plead not guilty."
#WinnieYuWaiMing raised her right hand and stated, "Not guilty."
The magistrate, Peter Law Tak Chuen, referred the 17 defendants to the High Court for trial.
The other 29 of them chose to plead guilty. Among them, #TiffanyYuenKaWai, #FrankieFungTatChuen, #CarolNgManYee, #GaryFanKwokWai and #HendickLuiChiHang, refused to agree all facts of the cases.
Everyone has a different way of pleading guilty:
#TiffanyYuen whispered, "Plead ah! (認呀！)."
#FergusLeungFongWai said with a tone of no choice, "Plead guilty lo! (認囉！)."
#FrankieFung said in Cantonese, "I plead guilty," then repeated in Mandarin, "I plead guilty, I know I was wrong,” causing the auditorium to laugh and #KwokKaKi thumbs up with a smile.
#LauChakFung just left his seat for the washroom, and somebody said, "he will plead guilty even in the toilet."
#JoshuaWong slowly spoke out, "Plead~ guilty~."
#LiKaTat shouted, "PG!"
#TamTakChi (a.k.a. #FastBeat) confidently said while brushing his hair, "I am 'handsome'" [Handsome has a similar sound as "plead" in Cantonese]
#WuChiWai followed, "Plead ah! (認呀！)," looking at #TamTakChi, and they both laughed.
#SamCheungHoSum declared, "I plead, I plead, I plead (認啊認啊認啊)" in one go.
#VentusLauWingHong said, "For the love of my country, I plead guilty," raising uproar among defendants.
Law, the magistrate, asked whether the 26 defendants agreed with the case.
#AuNokHin stood up at that moment and expressed heavily, "I confirmed the case, and I would like to apologise to all defendants because I could not ensure the election was legal." He then slightly bowed to the defendants.
#AndrewChiuKaYin also apologized, but expressionless, "I confirm the overall case, and I apologise to everyone who helped in the pre-election." Some defendants jeered, "What are you saying (講呢啲)?"
#TamTakChi (a.k.a #FastBeat) shouted as usual, "I agree with the plot!", followed by a severe facial expression, "I agree, I agree (同意啊、同意啊)," which brought laughter to the courtroom. He then turned around, spoke to #ClaudiaMo, "Yes, excellent!" and raised his arms to the air with thumbs up.
#LeslieShumOFai interrupted, "I am not a comedy actor."
The magistrates confirmed whether Tam agreed with the entire case. He answered, "Yes, then I agree with the full case." Law raises the question once more, "You agree?" "The plot? Yes." Tam replied
It is understood that there will be no jury at the trial. This case will be handled by three designed judges, as in the case of #TongYingKit. It reminds us of #OwenChowKaShing, who did not plead guilty and yelled at the court after the restriction on reporting was lifted, "Trial without a jury is unjust."
This was probably the most potent conclusion in West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts for a year and a half.
Source: InMedia #Aug18
https://www.inmediahk.net/node/%E7%A4%BE%E9%81%8B/%E3%80%90%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B847%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E3%80%91%E8%A8%98%E4%B8%80%E6%AC%A1%E9%95%B7%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%A9%E7%9A%84%E7%AD%94%E8%BE%AF-%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E8%AA%AA%E7%AC%91%E3%80%81%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E8%87%B4%E6%AD%89?utm_source=dable