Hong Kong protests: opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting to stand trial at District Court in Yuen Long attack case
- Prosecutors are preparing documents to move the case involving Lam and six others to the District Court, where they will answer one joint count of rioting
- The offence is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but sentencing is capped at seven years at the District Court
Hong Kong opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting will stand trial at a higher court, where he will be facing up to seven years behind bars if convicted over his alleged involvement in the mob violence at Yuen Long MTR station last year.
Prosecutors told West Kowloon Court on Monday they were preparing the necessary documents to move the case involving Lam and six others to the District Court, where they would answer one joint count of rioting. The offence is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but sentencing is capped at seven years at the District Court level.
The Democratic Party lawmaker was accused – more than a year after the incident – of taking part in a riot at the station’s concourse on the night of July 21, 2019. On that night, online video clips showed a white-clad mob indiscriminately attacking commuters and returning anti-government protesters with steel rods and rattan canes.
The event marked a turning point in last year’s protest movement, with police slammed for their slow response to the violence. The force said it was stretched handling major demonstrations in the heart of the city.