4 Hong Kong activists given bail as prosecutors drop appeal
HONG KONG — Four of 47 pro-democracy activists charged under Hong Kong's tough national security law were released on bail Friday after prosecutors dropped an appeal of an earlier court decision.
The 47 activists were charged Sunday with conspiracy to
commit subversion under the security law over their involvement in an
unofficial primary election last year, which authorities say was a plot to
subvert state power and paralyze the government.
The four activists — Clarisse Yeung, Lawrence Lau, Hendrick
Lui and Mike Lam — appeared in court on Friday prior to being released.
The four are among 15 activists who were granted bail by the
court on Thursday after a four-day marathon hearing. Thirty-one defendants were
denied bail, and Benny Tai, co-founder of the 2014 Occupy Central opposition
movement, withdrew his bail application after he was remanded in custody in a
separate case.
However, the Department of Justice appealed the decision to
grant bail and all 47 activists remained in custody. Prosecutors dropped their
appeal for the four released activists on Friday. The other 11 are to appear in
court on Saturday.
The bail conditions for the four activists include
surrendering their travel documents and abiding by a curfew. They also are not
allowed to contact foreign officials or take part in elections.
The next hearing in the case is May 31.
Under Hong Kong's common law system, defendants are usually
granted bail for non-violent crimes. But the national security law removed the
presumption of bail, with a clause saying it will not be granted unless the
judge has sufficient grounds to believe defendants "will not continue to
commit acts endangering national security."
The 47 are part of a broader group of 55 activists who were
arrested in January in connection with the primary election. Eight were not
charged.
The primary was aimed at determining candidates for a
Legislative Council election who would give the pro-democracy camp the best
chance of gaining a legislative majority. The government later postponed the
election, citing public health risks from the coronavirus.
If the pro-democracy camp had won a majority, at least some
members of the camp had plans to vote down major bills with the intent of
eventually forcing Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to resign. Authorities said the
activists' participation in the primary was part of a plan to paralyze the
city's legislature and subvert state power.
The national security law criminalizes secession, subversion,
collusion with foreign forces to intervene in the city's affairs as well as
terrorism. Serious offenders could face life imprisonment.
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