Three officers who assaulted Occupy activist released on bail after judge says jail terms may be ‘excessive’
Trio were among seven officers caught on film attacking Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, 40, outside electricity substation during civil disobedience movement
Three Hong Kong police officers, each jailed for two years for assaulting an activist during the pro-democracy Occupy protests in 2014, were freed on bail pending appeal on Wednesday, after a judge said their sentences might be “excessive”.
The trio were among seven officers caught on film attacking Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, 40, outside an electricity substation during the civil disobedience movement, after he was arrested and zip-tied for pouring liquid over uniformed police in a clearance operation in Admiralty on October 15.
Police supporters protesting outside the High Court building on Wednesday were heard on the fifth floor, where the bail hearing took place, shouting: “Political judgment. Support police. Enforce the law.”
While Mr Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen was not convinced that the grounds of appeal tabled by the officers stood a reasonable chance of success, he noted that the original sentence might be excessive and expressed concern that the officers may end up serving most of the sentence – if not all – by the time their appeal is heard.
Yeung explained that the case must be considered in the context of the Occupy movement, where police had the unenviable task of maintaining law and order, working long hours without rest and acting under immense stress in the face of violent and provocative protesters, like Tsang, whom he said was “an infamous example”.
Yeung noted that the social worker’s offensive and highly provocative behaviour – driven by his “arrogance and stupidity” – had led to an equally senseless response from the officers who decided to teach him a lesson.