Hong Kong court cites activist Chow Hang-tung’s behaviour after adoption of national security law in denying bail before trial

Judge points to activist Chow Hang-tung’s ‘past conduct and statements’ after 2020 introduction of national security law in denying bail ahead of February pretrial hearing

Chow is accused of inciting subversion in connection with her role as vice-president of group behind city’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil

Reading Time:3 minutes

The High Court in Admiralty. Details of Thursday’s bail hearing were exempt from statutory reporting restrictions after the judge lifted the curbs at the request of the media. Photo: Warton Li

Published: 3:27pm, 21 Dec 2023Updated: 9:41pm, 21 Dec 2023

A Hong Kong court has cited an activist’s “conduct and statements” made after the adoption of the national security law in denying her bail before a trial relating to her role as vice-chairwoman of an umbrella group behind the city’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil.

Mr Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai on Thursday told the High Court he was not satisfied that Chow Hang-tung would not commit further national security offences if she was granted temporary release.

“Given the applicant’s past conduct and statements uttered after the promulgation of the national security law on 30 June, 2020, I am not in a position to say that I have sufficient grounds [to believe] that the defendant would not continue to commit acts endangering national security,” said Chan, who was hand-picked by the city leader to adjudicate national security proceedings, without elaborating further.

Chow Hang-tung at a press conference in 2021. The activist has made multiple bids for temporary release, but to no avail. Photo: Sam Tsang

The judge also hit back at the defence suggestion that Chow, who has been detained since her prosecution in September 2021, would serve an excess amount of time behind bars if she was eventually found guilty.

He said a pretrial hearing was likely to be held in February next year, with the trial expected to commence “in the second half of 2024” at the more spacious West Kowloon Court, where the foreign collusion case involving media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying is being heard.

Details of Thursday’s bail hearing were exempt from statutory reporting restrictions after the judge lifted the curbs at the request of the media.

Chow, 38, a barrister by profession, is set to stand trial before a panel of three High Court judges for allegedly inciting subversion alongside the now-folded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.