[ad_1]
Hong Kong authorities arrested Joshua Wong for a 2019 protest and for allegedly violating an anti-mask law that the courts have declared partially unconstitutional, according to the activist’s social media accounts.
Veteran activist Koo Sze-yiu was also arrested, pro-democracy figures told The Guardian.
Wong, 23, is one of the most prominent figures in the pro-democracy movement that sparked mass protests on the streets of Hong Kong for much of 2019, before the pandemic and then draconian national security laws put end to this situation. year.
Posts on Wong’s official social media accounts said Thursday afternoon that he had been arrested for participating in an unauthorized gathering on October 5, 2019.
“He is told that he violated the draconian anti-mask law, which was previously declared partially unconstitutional by the appeals court,” the message said.
Wong was released on bail a few hours later and told the media that the international community should focus less on prominent activists like him and call for the release of the 12 Hong Kong people detained in mainland China after allegedly trying to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan. Boat.
In August, Wong was one of 24 arrested for attending a candlelight vigil for the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
It was also confirmed to The Guardian that Koo was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly participating in an unauthorized protest. The 74-year-old man is being treated for advanced stage cancer and had a medical appointment scheduled for Thursday afternoon. He was last jailed in June for desecrating the Hong Kong flag, local media reported at the time.
Hong Kong police later confirmed the arrests of the two men, saying they were both charged with “knowingly participating in an unauthorized gathering.” Wong also faces the charge of “wearing face covering in unauthorized montage.”
Thousands of people attended the October 5 rally, including Wong. It was prompted in part by an announcement earlier that day that emergency regulations would be invoked to pass laws banning the wearing of masks, which protesters frequently wore to protect their identities or ward off police crowd-control tactics. Analysts said Hong Kong CEO Carrie Lam’s move marked the beginning of an authoritarian government. Thousands of people took to the streets in protest for a night that turned into violence, with tear gas fired by police and fires lit by protesters at two metro stations.
An appeal against the anti-mask law was filed in April with Hong Kong’s highest court, declaring it partially unconstitutional.
The court ruled that Hong Kong’s chief executive could use colonial-era regulations to make emergency decrees for public safety, and that banning masks was constitutional, but only at illegal gatherings. He found banning the masks in legal gatherings and allowing the police to demand their removal was unconstitutional.
The amended anti-masking law remains active despite a concurrent legal requirement that all people must wear face shields in public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A US-based activist and friend of Wong’s said that the 23-year-old had reported to the police station twice a week while on bail for another protest-related case.
“This is where he was arrested earlier for participating in an unauthorized gathering and violating the anti-mask law,” Jeffrey Ngo tweeted.
“The government creates the illusion of relative normalcy, through a week or two of relative tranquility at a time, to lower its guard. Then they ignite with gas … you with sudden repressions “.
Wong’s fellow co-founders of the now-disbanded Demosisto party have also come under fire. Agnes Chow was arrested last month under the new national security law and Nathan Law fled to the UK.
Johnny Patterson, Director of the UK-based NGO Hong Kong Watch, said: “The arrest of Joshua Wong is the latest example of flagrant impeachment in Hong Kong. Beijing and its counterparts in the Hong Kong government are waging a ‘legal war’ campaign, abusing the courts to silence their political opponents and create an atmosphere of self-censorship. “
Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said the arrest was an indictment against Hong Kong’s legal and political systems.
“Joshua Wong’s arrest today is emblematic of Hong Kong’s downward spiral of human rights,” he said. “Authorities are criminalizing participation in protests using laws that are not in line with international standards, bringing dubious demands to block voices in favor of democracy and without controlling the excessive use of police force.”
Wong’s case is scheduled for a magistrate court hearing on Monday.
