Hong Kong court orders MTR Corp to disclose to student leader security footage from stations over August 31 police operation
- Kex Leung to get access to videos as he considers legal action against force for his arrest
- Judge says move does not mean rail giant is being held accountable for what happened that chaotic night as protesters and officers clashed
Mr Justice Anderson Chow Ka-ming of the High Court on Wednesday granted Kex Leung Yiu-ting, a former student union president of Education University, access to the requested video from Prince Edward and Lai Chi Kok stations, despite objections from the MTR Corporation.
But the judge also made clear that Leung could only use the footage to pursue his intended legal action against police, and that he could not copy or disseminate the videos for any other purposes.
Leung hailed the ruling as a small victory and said he hoped it would offer encouragement to those considering similar legal action.
The student had accused officers of assault and unlawful arrest following his unconditional release, and revealed plans to sue the police commissioner for tens of thousands of dollars in damages for personal injuries sustained during the overnight operation that began on August 31, 2019.
“The footage is powerful evidence proving that I was unlawfully arrested that night,” he told reporters outside court on Wednesday.
The MTR Corp said it respected the court’s decision and would make suitable arrangements after studying the judgment.