Occupy trio to let evidence against them go unchallenged and focus on legality of charges they face in Hong Kong protest trial
Dr Chan Kin-man, Benny Tai and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming among nine to appear in West Kowloon Court in November in relation to 2014 demonstrations
The three founders of Hong Kong’s 2014 Occupy protests are likely to focus on legal arguments rather than challenging the evidence against them when it comes to their trials in November.
Dr Chan Kin-man, who alongside Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, and six co-defendants, said the trio would argue that some of the charges against them, such as incitement to incite public nuisance, were unconstitutional.
However, district judge Johnny Chan Jong-herng has already ruled that charge is constitutional in common law.
He also sided with prosecutors that there was no repetition of charges, with Dr Chan, Tai and Chu also facing counts of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, and incitement to commit public nuisance.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.
“We have to handle this case carefully,” Dr Chan said outside West Kowloon Court. “It could infringe all of our civic rights if we are successfully prosecuted.”