National security law: magistrate grants bail to 1 of 4 University of Hong Kong students charged with advocating terrorism but prosecutors object
- Charles Kwok, Kinson Cheung, Anthony Yung and Chris Todorovski are the first to be charged with offence under Beijing-imposed legislation
- Magistrate grants Yung bail of HK$50,000 but prosecutors object and ask for review
A magistrate on Thursday granted bail to one of four University of Hong Kong student leaders charged with advocating terrorism for passing a motion praising the “sacrifice” of a man who stabbed a police officer before killing himself, but prosecutors objected.
Following the prosecutors’ move, Anthony Yung Chung-hei, 19, was remanded in jail custody with student union president Charles Kwok Wing-ho, 20, student union council chairman Kinson Cheung King-sang and residential hall representative Chris Todorovski Shing-hang, 18.
The four were brought before West Kowloon Court after being arrested the previous day. They were the first people to be charged with advocating terrorism since the Beijing-imposed national security law, which also bans acts of subversion, secession and collusion with foreign forces, took effect on June 30 last year.
Prosecutors also charged them with inciting others to wound with intent over their roles in the motion passed by the university’s student union council last month. They argued the four had incited others to “unlawfully and maliciously wound police officers”.
More than 30 student union members attended a July 7 meeting where the controversial motion was passed mourning and “appreciating the sacrifice” of the assailant, whose crime was described by officials as a “lone wolf-style act of domestic terrorism”. The motion was withdrawn a day later amid an outcry.
