4 former University of Hong Kong student leaders plead guilty to inciting violence for praise of knife attack on police, avoid national security law charges

Quartet passed motion in 2021 student union council meeting that praised ‘sacrifice’ of man who stabbed constable before committing suicide

In exchange for plea, prosecutors agree to drop more serious charge of advocating terrorism under national security law

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Anthony Yung (left) and Chris Todorovski will return to court on Thursday. Photo: Brian Wong

Published: 8:35pm, 11 Sep 2023Updated: 8:40pm, 11 Sep 2023

Four former student leaders from the University of Hong Kong have pleaded guilty to inciting violence by praising a knife attack on a police officer, in exchange for prosecutors dropping a more serious charge of advocating terrorism under the national security law.

The District Court heard on Monday that the quartet had passed a motion in a 2021 student union council meeting that praised the “sacrifice” of 50-year-old Leung Kin-fai, who stabbed a constable before committing suicide on July 1 that year.

Some of the defendants also accused authorities of politicising the incident by calling it a lone-wolf terrorist attack, and what they saw as altering historical facts related to the 2019 anti-government protests.

Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching, who was hand-picked by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to hear national security cases, extended bail for the four until a mitigation hearing on Thursday.

She asked prosecutors to provide further details about the footage of the council meetings concerned, adding her sentences would partly hinge on the videos’ view counts and the length of time they were accessible online.

The four in the dock were: former student union president Charles Kwok Wing-ho, 22; student union council chairman Kinson Cheung King-sang, 21; residential hall representative Chris Todorovski Shing-hang, 22; and arts association representative Anthony Yung Chung-hei, 21.

Kinson Cheung led participants at the student union council meeting to observe a minute of silence for the attacker. Photo: Brian Wong

They admitted a joint charge of incitement to wound with intent, in lieu of advocating terrorism, which carries a minimum jail sentence of five years for serious transgressions under the Beijing-decreed national security law.

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4 former University of Hong Kong student leaders plead guilty to inciting violence for praise of knife attack on police, avoid national security law charges

Quartet passed motion in 2021 student union council meeting that praised ‘sacrifice’ of man who stabbed constable before committing suicide In exchange for plea, prosecutors agree to drop more serious charge of advocating terrorism under national security law

Quartet passed motion in 2021 student union council meeting that praised ‘sacrifice’ of man who stabbed constable before committing suicide

In exchange for plea, prosecutors agree to drop more serious charge of advocating terrorism under national security law