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

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Prosecutors will appeal the court’s decision to acquit Lawrence Lau. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 11:00pm, 13 Jun 2024Updated: 11:39pm, 13 Jun 2024

Hong Kong’s Department of Justice has appealed a decision by the High Court to acquit one of 16 opposition figures who contested subversion charges stemming from an unofficial primary in 2020 at a pivotal national security trial last month.

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.

Former defendant Lee Yue-shun. Photo: Sam Tsang

No reasons were provided for the appeal decision as a department spokesman said it “has nothing further to supplement”.