On 14 May, authorities froze the assets of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. This was the first time that the pertaining provision in Article 43 of the national security law was applied. While Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on 18 May that the move would serve to bolster the status of Hong Kong as an international financial hub, several senior bankers and corporate lawyers not associated with Lai's accounts opined that the actionwhich was followed at the end of the month by a warning from the Security Secretary to banks against dealing with the frozen assetswas exposing risks for clients and top financial managers in Hong Kong.
At the end of the month, authorities banned for the second time in a row the annual 4 June vigil in memory of the Tiananmen massacre, citing pandemic concerns.
3 May
3 of the 12 Hong Kong activists involved in a new case brought to court
Among the 12 Hong Kong activists who returned to Hong Kong after serving their sentences in the Mainland in March, Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu and Yim Man-him, 3 were involved in a conspiracy to assault the police and appeared in the Eastern Magistrates' Court. The three accused were charged on December 8, 2019, and they conspired with others to illegally and maliciously harm a police officer with the intention of causing serious bodily harm to the Hong Kong police officer. And Cheung was also charged with possession of 2 boxes of fireworks in a unit of Glee Industrial Building in Chai Wan Kok, Tsuen Wan along with Wong Wai-yin from 3 to 8 December 2019; and of possession of 4 boxes of fireworks in the same unit on 8 December 2019. The can contains a pepper spray. Cheung was also charged with possession of offensive weapons and other tools suitable for illegal purposes, but was also charged with one count of possession of explosives and one count of possession of unlicensed firearms. The prosecution today applied to confiscate the bail of three people totaling HK$48,000, which was approved by the magistrate. The case was postponed to 7 June for delivery procedures, at which time the case will be referred to the High Court for trial. The three people did not apply for bailout and continue to be under the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
Student pleads guilty on 6 months after Prince Edward attack A 19-year-old student who had participated in protests in Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mong Kok, near Soy Street and Nelson Street on 22 February 2020 was charged with riot. The defendant originally had one crime of assaulting a policeman, but was allowed to put it on file in court and not to continue the prosecution. The defendant pleaded guilty in the District Court and was remanded until sentencing on 24 May, during which time his background report will be requested.
4 May
Three people imprisoned for illegally detaining woman during 2019 protests Two men and one woman, including a female teacher and male social worker, were sentenced to prison terms between 10 and 15 months in the District Court in Wan Chai. In April, the three had been found guilty of false imprisonment of a woman on 7 July 2019 at the close of a protest in Mong Kok, with one of the defendants additionally found guilty of indecent assault. At the protest, the woman had been surrounded by a crowd who accused her of taking photos of protesters, with some suggesting that she was a plainclothes police officer. During the siege of 14 minutes, she was pushed to the ground and not allowed to leave when yelling for help; she eventually broke through the encirclement and fled. The female teacher expressed disappointment with the judgment, saying that she had only been there to mediate. The judge said that the defendants "had jointly spread hatred against police and bullied a lone woman with an aim to intimidate and silence people", and that a "punitive" sentence was called for.
5 May
Lam Cheuk-ting drop charges against Commissioner of Police Democratic Party Central Committee member Winfield Chong held a press conference. He quoted Lam Cheuk-ting, who was still remanded after charged with national security law, after consulting the legal opinions and the wishes of the other 8 plaintiffs, and considering the recent political and legal environment in Hong Kong, he also hoped to provide 612 Humanitarian Fund. The Fund assisted more Hong Kong people in need and decided to terminate the Yuen Long attack lawsuit against Commissioner of Police Chris Tang. Former chairman of the Democratic Party, Albert Ho, pointed out that the case must be set aside for at least one year for processing, and that he must pay a large amount of legal costs if he loses the case. He also said that Lam is exhausted.
Tsuen Wan protesters sentenced for rioting on joint enterprise doctrine On 15 April, three men and one woman were convicted in the District Court of riot and arson during protests that had occurred on 1 October 2019 in Tsuen Wan. After hearing the defense's plea, the judge Ernest Lin cited the 'joint enterprise' doctrine in the recent court of appeal case and pointed out that three of them were convicted of environmental evidence and there was no substantive evidence to prove that they were involved in the riot. The judge described the above situation as a "mini-war", saying that the actual "military power" of the police and the demonstrators was not proportional, and said that "if it is a real war, there is no suspense about who wins and who loses." It was even described that the police had "beared and restrained" when enforcing the law, and had not used all their weapons. In the end, the defendant was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months for the 21-year-old and 27-year-old defendant, and 4 years and 5 months for the 24-year-old social worker's assistant. The 40-year-old cleaner was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for arson, of which 2 months were divided into riot sentences, and the total sentence was 4 years and 8 months. The other defendant had been arrested and wanted by the court because he did not appear in court on time.
Wu Chi-wai's emergency bail rejected The former chairman of the Democratic Party, Wu Chi-wai, who was remanded in custody from January 2021 until now, his 92-years-old father died earlier. When he applied to go out for funerals, the Correctional Services Department rejected the application on the grounds of safeguarding safety, and instead offered to use video for Wu to 'pay homage to his legacy.' His team members revealed that Wu and his family found the relevant practices unacceptable and disrespectful to his father, so they refused to arrange, saying that they were heartbroken not to see his father for the last time. Former chairman of the Democratic Party, Albert Ho, criticized the decision of the CSD as "inappropriate and inhumane".
Chef sentenced to prison A 50-year-old chef displayed or left a roadblock outside No. 239 Sha Tsui Road, Tsuen Wan, on 12 November 2019, obstructing vehicles in public places; and in possession of 3 devices capable of emitting laser beams in the same place on the same day; He was charged with causing obstruction in public places and possessing offensive weapons. The defendant denied the charge and was found guilty after trial. He was sentenced in West Kowloon Magistrates' Court. Magistrate Colin Wong pointed out that the defendant clamored at the scene of the blockage, which affected the traffic, and that he possessed multiple laser pointers for himself and others to use, which made the case more serious, and finally sentenced the defendant to immediate imprisonment for 8 months.
6 May
Members of Returning Valiant were arrested for violating national security law In the morning, Returning Valiant stated on its Facebook page that some members were arrested for violating the Hong Kong national security law. According to the news, at least 7 people were arrested. It was related to the burglary involving 4 members who infiltrated the Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College in Tseung Kwan O. The two were students of the school. During subsequent police investigations, it was discovered that some of the arrested persons were members of the Returning Valiant, and slogans involving Hong Kong independence were found in the apartment. The case was handed over to the National Security Department for follow-up, after which three people were arrested. The seven arrested persons were suspected of burglary and inciting secession in violation of the national security law.
Chickeeduck store raided for national security law allegations At 5 pm, about 40 to 50 police officers pulled up an orange tape cordon outside the newly opened Chickeeduck store on Heung Shing Street in Tsuen Wan, enclosed the store, searched for 1 hour and left. The owner, Herbert Chow, said that the National Security Department of the police conducted a search for up to one hour, but did not explain the reason. He only said that if a product that violates the national security law is found, it will reserve the right to prosecute. He denounced it as white terror, the rule of law is dead, and he clearly stated that he would continue to operate. The source said that someone complained to the police that the store was suspected of violating the law.
Activists sentenced for last year unauthorized Tiananmen vigil anniversary The activists participating in last year Tiananmen vigil anniversary was charged with unlawful assembly. In the case, four defendants Joshua Wong, Lester Shum, Tiffany Yuen and Jannelle Leung all pleaded guilty to one crime of knowingly taking part in an unlawful assembly. The case was sentenced in the District Court in the morning. Judge Stanley Chan sentenced Wong to 10 months, Shum sentenced to 6 months, Yuen and Leung sentenced to 4 months in prison each.
7 May
PolyU student union members to undergo a disciplinary hearing over commemorative siege postcards The Facebook page of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Student Union revealed that the vice-president and the two secretaries of the student union were suspected of having issued a postcard to commemorate the Siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The believed that it would affect the reputation of the university. The three of them will have to undergo a disciplinary hearing next month.
Leisure and Cultural Services Department reviews 9 books for violation of national security laws After the Leisure and Cultural Services Department requested public libraries to remove nine political books for 'review' in July last year, the department once again suspended relevant book services on the grounds of the national security law legislation. A search for the books on the webpages of public libraries showed "no matching search results".
Professor who used the 'Five Demands' hand gesture while chanting slogan sentenced to 3 months in prison A 50-year-old man with a Ph.D. and a former university professor was charged with chanting slogans during a protest against the National Anthem Ordinance on Hennessy Road in Causeway Bay on 24 May 2020. He admitted that without hiring a lawyer, he admitted that he committing an act that disturbs public order. Principal Magistrate Peter Law of the Eastern Magistrates' Court believed that the defendant's chanting of political slogans at the scene had serious and dangerous consequences, and he reprimanded the defendant for "not sitting in jail until there is a reason for bleating." He was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for 3 months.
U.S. urges the Hong Kong government to immediately release participants in the Tiananmen vigil anniversary