Hong Kong police arrest eighth sedition suspect days before Tiananmen Square anniversary – JURIST

The National Security Department of the Hong Kong police arrested a 62-year-old man on Monday for suspected sedition. In addition to the seven suspects arrested on May 31, a total of eight suspects were allegedly involved in sedition, days before the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests.

Police charged the suspects with committing offenses involving seditious intent, contrary to Article 24 of the National Security Ordinance. Security Secretary Tang Ping-keung confirmed that the eight arrested suspects operated a social media page named “Chow Hang Tung Club” with the intention of inciting Chinese and Hong Kong citizens to hatred against the central government. Chinese, Hong Kong SAR. [HKSAR] government and judicial authority of the HKSAR.

Local media Witness HK reported that one of the suspects was Chow Hang Tung and that the person arrested on Monday was Chow's uncle. Chow remains in pre-trial detention and other suspects have been released on bail. Previously, Chow was convicted of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. Chow was also found guilty of failing to comply with a notice to provide information as a foreign agent under China's national security law. Currently, Chow is seeking permission to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Chow was the vice-chairman of the now disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The government also accuses the alliance of inciting subversion. A hearing is scheduled for June 24 to hear the defense's challenge over whether one of the judges should recuse herself from the case because she had access to the prosecution's redacted documents.

In March, the legislature unanimously adopted the Ordinance on Safeguarding National Security. Previously, the order blocked the remission of a detainee's sentence for violating national security. This was the first time that the police invoked the offense of sedition in the newly promulgated ordinance.

At the press conference, Tang reiterated that the order only targets a small group of people who seek to undermine national security. Tang said the government welcomes criticism of government policies and continues to protect citizens' freedom of expression in accordance with Hong Kong's Basic Law and other international covenants.

On the other hand, the Taiwan Judicial Reform Foundation issued a joint statement, alongside 19 other civil groups, including Amnesty International, to call for Chow's immediate release and dropping of charges against him . The groups also called on the government to ensure that the order and its implementation are consistent with international human rights norms and standards; this has already been criticized by UN special rapporteurs.