Five Hong Kong policemen jailed for beating pro-democracy protester Ken Tsang during 2014 Occupy movement lose final appeal bid
- They were part of a group of seven accused of assaulting activist Ken Tsang
- Action was a last attempt to clear their names at the top court
Hong Kong’s top court on Tuesday turned down the request of five police officers jailed for beating a pro-democracy activist during the 2014 Occupy protests to lodge a final appeal.
The five officers – Chief Inspector Wong Cho-shing, 52; Senior Inspector Lau Cheuk-ngai, 33; Detective Sergeant Pak Wing-bun, 46; and 35-year-old detective constables Chan Siu-tan and Kwan Ka-ho – did not have to return to prison, having served their sentences. They had made their last attempts to clear their names at the Court of Final Appeal, arguing that they suffered grave injustices during proceedings that began five years ago.
They were part of a group of seven who stood trial in 2016 and 2017 after being charged with assaulting Ken Tsang Kin-chiu in Admiralty, the main venue of the 79-day civil disobedience campaign for greater democracy in 2014.
Tsang testified that, after he was arrested and carried to an electricity substation near the government headquarters, officers kicked and punched him, and beat him with batons.