National security law: bail denied for Hong Kong schoolgirl and 6 others charged with subversion under Beijing-imposed legislation
- Five secondary school pupils among seven members of pro-independence group charged with conspiracy to incite subversion
- The accused, aged between 15 and 25, were remanded in custody with the next hearing set for November
A 15-year-old girl was among seven members of a pro-independence group remanded in custody on Wednesday after they were charged under the national security law with inciting others to overthrow the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.
The defendants appeared at West Kowloon Court in the city’s second national security case to involve the Returning Valiant group.
Five secondary school pupils – the 15-year-old girl, Yuen Ka-him, Leung Yung-wan and Tseung Chau Ching-yu, all 16, and Kwok Man-hei, 18 – faced a joint count of conspiracy to incite subversion, together with shopkeeper Choi Wing-kit, 20, and salesman Chris Chan Yau-tsun, 25.
Yuen appeared in the dock dressed in the same school uniform he wore when National Security Department officers detained him and six others on Tuesday afternoon.
A charge sheet available for press inspection said the seven committed the offence between January 10 and May 6 this year, without offering further details.
Prosecutor Vincent Lee Ting-wai applied for a month-long adjournment so his team could prepare the necessary paperwork to move the case to the District Court for trial.
Principal Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen, who is among a pool of jurists hand-picked by the city leader to oversee security law proceedings, scheduled the next hearing for November 3 before throwing out the defendants’ bail applications at the request of the prosecution.
The offence is punishable by 10 years behind bars, but is capped at seven years at the District Court. However, a minimum jail sentence of five years applies in serious cases.
Kwok and six other Returning Valiant members were previously charged in relation to an alleged terrorist plot to bomb streets, courts and transport networks. They were remanded in custody on a charge of conspiracy to commit terrorist activities.
Also on Wednesday afternoon, two students facing a separate charge of conspiracy to incite subversion were denied bail for a second time.
Student Politicism convenor Wong Yat-chin and former secretary Chan Chi-sum were remanded in custody on September 21 by Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung, another jurist designated to handle security law proceedings.
The two 20-year-olds renewed their bail applications before Law, who also sided with the prosecution in denying their release. They can still apply for bail at the High Court.
