Hong Kong court postpones trial of pro-democracy activists booked under China's 'security law'

ANI
30 Nov 2021, 02:57 GMT+10

Hong Kong, November 30 (ANI): Hong Kong authorities on Monday adjourned the trial of 47 pro-democracy activists and opposition politicians who face charges of 'subversion'The court has adjourned their trial till March 2022, which means many of them would have to stay behind the bars till the start of the trial.

As reported by Radio Free Asia, only 14 of the accused have been granted bail, and the remaining people have been in jail since March 2021.

The Magistrate said that the adjournment was made to allow time for nearly 10,000 pages of evidence to be translated by the end of the year.

Scant details of the case are available, as media organizations are barred under Hong Kong law from publishing details of pre-trial proceedings, Radio Free Asia reported.

The people who have been charged include veteran opposition figures and the founders of the 2014 Occupy Central pro-democracy movement.

The people have been charged in line with the draconian National Security Law, imposed by China on Hong Kong.

The law was imposed as a response to anti-China protests that roiled Hong Kong.The law criminalises any act of secession (breaking away from China), subversion (undermining the power or authority of the central government), 'terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with punishments of up to life in prison.

Earlier in the month, a student activist Tony Chung from Hong Kong also pleaded guilty to the same charges under the draconian law.

In other related developments, foreign correspondents working in Hong Kong city informed that their 'sources' are not willing to give them information after Beijing imposed the 'security' law.

A few days ago, authorities jailed a pro-democratic activist nicknamed "Captain America 2.0" in Hong Kong for chanting slogans that are deemed 'separatist' under the Beijing-imposed national security law in the city. (ANI)

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