Jailed former Hong Kong lawmaker gets 2 more weeks behind bars for obstructing officer

Lee Cheuk-yan, 65, also fined HK$3,500 for releasing balloon in restricted airspace during protest outside Legislative Council last year

He is currently serving a 20-month jail sentence for his role in four unauthorised assemblies

Reading Time:2 minutes

Former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan has received two more weeks behind bars for obstructing a police officer during a peaceful protest. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 6:16pm, 28 Apr 2022Updated: 10:38pm, 28 Apr 2022

Jailed former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan has received two more weeks behind bars for obstructing a police officer during a peaceful protest that called for the release of political prisoners outside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council last year.

Eastern Court on Thursday also imposed a HK$3,500 (US$446) fine on the 65-year-old opposition activist for releasing a balloon in restricted airspace in breach of aviation legislation during the incident on New Year’s Day of 2021.

A former unionist and leader of the group behind the annual June 4 candlelight vigil, Lee is currently serving a 20-month jail sentence for his roles in four unauthorised assemblies, three of which stemmed from the anti-government protests in 2019.

His lawyer said he was set to complete that sentence in September, though he would remain behind bars afterwards while awaiting trial under the national security law for allegedly inciting subversion in his role as chairman of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.

After Thursday’s court session, Lee waved to a dozen supporters in the public gallery and told them to “hang in there” before leaving alongside prison officers.

Prosecutors have charged Lee and fellow activist Tsang Kin-shing, 66, with staging the small gathering on Legislative Council Road organised by the Civil Human Rights Front on January 1.

The now-disbanded organisation decided earlier against holding its annual New Year’s Day march, as police had repeatedly turned down its applications for events citing coronavirus concerns and the risk of peaceful demonstrations being hijacked by radical protesters.

Lee Cheuk-yan (left) and other participants during the peaceful protest calling for the release of political prisoners on New Year’s Day in 2021. Photo: Felix Wong

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x