Prosecutors to appeal 1 of 2 acquittals in trial of Hong Kong 47
- Prosecutors file appeal over acquittal of barrister Lawrence Lau but will not pursue second defendant cleared, social worker Lee Yue-shun
Prosecutors said on Thursday they had filed the appeal over the acquittal of barrister Lawrence Lau Wai-chung, but they would not pursue a second defendant, social worker Lee Yue-shun, who was also cleared of the charge.
Forty-seven opposition figures faced subversion charges for their roles in the primary, held to narrow down a list of candidates for an approaching Legislative Council election, held two weeks after the Beijing-imposed national security law came into force in June 2020.
Sixteen contested the charge and 14 were found guilty on May 30 after judges found the primary was part of a plot to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” the government.
The court will hear mitigation claims from those convicted on June 25.
No reasons were provided for the appeal decision as a department spokesman said it “has nothing further to supplement”.
Lau and Lee, both former district councillors, were acquitted as the panel of three judges said it could not be sure of their intention in regards to a plot to indiscriminately “veto” budgets with an aim to paralyse the government.
They were granted bail and required to report to police on a monthly basis. The department signalled at the time it intended to challenge the acquittals.
Under the Beijing-imposed national security law, a three-tier system classifies offenders found guilty of subversion, with the maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
