5 Hong Kong democrats drop bail appeals in subversion case
Eastern district councilor Andy Chui’s bail application was rejected.
Five pro-democracy politicians and activists on Friday announced decisions to discontinue their attempts at bail, while a sixth defendant failed in his appeal to be released by a Hong Kong court.
The five were Central and Western district councilor Fergus Leung, former journalist Gwyneth Ho, former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, and Gordon Ng and Wong Pak-yu.
Eastern district councilor Andy Chui’s bail application was rejected. The group is part of 47 Hongkongers taken into custody on Feb. 28 for subversion under national security laws. Only 11 of the defendants have managed to secure bail so far.
Chief Magistrate Victor So, the same jurist presiding over some of the previous court sessions for bail, heard that the five defendants were withdrawing their bail review applications.
Three of them also decided to give up their right to review the bail decision every eight days. The other two, Lam and Ng, will appear in court again next Thursday for their bail review applications.
The magistrate said that four other defendants who had been scheduled for the current proceedings at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Friday morning would not show up after all, as they had decided to scrap their review applications before the hearing started.
Those four were Southern district councilor Tiffany Yuen, Tsuen Wan district councilor Lester Shum, activist Prince Wong and former chair of the Confederation of Trade Unions Carol Ng.
On Friday, the group of five arrived at 10 a.m. at the West Kowloon courts. Lam, who had been remanded in a single cell for 18 days, carried a thick book and looked at his family and friends in the public gallery. Ho showed a victory sign, while the other three also nodded to their family and friends.
It took only five minutes to finish the proceedings. As the defendants left, Ho blew a kiss to her supporters while the men waved their hands to say goodbye.
Separately at the High Court, Madam Justice Esther Toh rejected Chui’s bail application. He would be remanded in custody till May 31. Both of his aged parents looked sad upon hearing the judge’s decision.
Chui, 53, had been staying in hospital after a marathon court hearing for the 47 in early March. He looked good on Friday, waving to friends and family as he entered the courtroom. When the hearing ended, Chui clenched his fist and tapped his chest, telling supporters to “keep it up” before being taken away.
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