Four former leaders of the now-defunct student activist group - Student Politicism, pleaded guilty to conspiring to incite subversion under the national security law at the District Court on Friday.
The four include the group’s former convener Wong Yat-chin, former secretary general Chan Chi-sum, and two former spokeswomen Jessica Chu Wai-ying, and Alice Wong Yuen-lam.
The prosecution listed seven street booths held by the defunct group with themes ranging from supporting the 12 Hongkongers captured by Chinese coastguards as they tried to flee to Taiwan, to resisting the government’s Covid-19 anti-epidemic measures.
According to the prosecution’s case, the former convenor “invited others to take part in ‘the resistance’ against those in power,” and told the public to remember ‘liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.”
The prosecutor said that the slogan could carry the meaning of separating Hong Kong from China and inciting secession, and that Wong Yat-chin said it was not only a slogan, but “a belief to be held and realized.”
Wong was also said to have sought to incite others to build a “Hong Kong nation” during his speeches at the street booths. The former convenor, according to the prosecution, also told the public to ensure “mental and physical preparation” for revolution.
The former leaders also incited the public to not follow the government’s anti-epidemic measures, the prosecution said.
Chu, at a street booth set up in Mong Kok in February last year, told the public to not download the government’s contact-tracing mobile application LeaveHomeSafe, and said that people should provide false information to make it more difficult for the administration to trace those infected with Covid-19.
All four defendants agreed to the prosecution’s case.
The group will appear in court again on September 25 for mitigation, as the barrister representing Wong Yat-chin said that they wanted to wait for a judgement concerning the appeal against sentencing in another national security case.
The prosecution listed seven street booths held by the defunct group with themes ranging from supporting the 12 Hongkongers captured by Chinese coastguards as they tried to flee to Taiwan, to resisting the government’s Covid-19 anti-epidemic measures.
According to the prosecution’s case, the former convenor “invited others to take part in ‘the resistance’ against those in power,” and told the public to remember ‘liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.”
The prosecutor said that the slogan could carry the meaning of separating Hong Kong from China and inciting secession, and that Wong Yat-chin said it was not only a slogan, but “a belief to be held and realized.”
Wong was also said to have sought to incite others to build a “Hong Kong nation” during his speeches at the street booths. The former convenor, according to the prosecution, also told the public to ensure “mental and physical preparation” for revolution.
The former leaders also incited the public to not follow the government’s anti-epidemic measures, the prosecution said.
Chu, at a street booth set up in Mong Kok in February last year, told the public to not download the government’s contact-tracing mobile application LeaveHomeSafe, and said that people should provide false information to make it more difficult for the administration to trace those infected with Covid-19.
All four defendants agreed to the prosecution’s case.
The group will appear in court again on September 25 for mitigation, as the barrister representing Wong Yat-chin said that they wanted to wait for a judgement concerning the appeal against sentencing in another national security case.