#Court #WhiteTerror #FreeSpeech
First Conviction Based on "Online Comments" in Hong Kong Protests, Jugde Insists Message Leads to "Violent Actions"
A 38-year old construction worker, with the online alias “Kim Jong Un”, were charged with inciting others to take part in unlawful assembly. He was convicted on October 19, 2020.
The man had posted 4 comments in a public group on Facebook in 2019, expressing that “everyone besieges San Uk Ling” and that “rescuing the righteous ones is the most important”. The San Uk Ling Reception Center that is located near the Hong Kong-China border is known to be a site where police tortured pro-democracy protesters by means of physical, verbal and sexual violations.
The judge claimed it was "obvious" that the defendant tried to mobilise more than a few dozen citizens, as he used the word “everyone”. The Judge said the action of “besieging San Uk Ling” would not result in the release of the arrestees and the participants of assembly would probably "perform other acts", which "must involve violence". Based on these beliefs, the judge ruled that the the defendant is guilty.
The defendant was remanded in custody before a sentence will be announced on November 3, 2020.
This is the first conviction based on online comments in a Hong Kong's court since the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Movement.
Source: InMedia #Oct19
https://bit.ly/3k7zu5H
#SanUkLing #OnlineComments
First Conviction Based on "Online Comments" in Hong Kong Protests, Jugde Insists Message Leads to "Violent Actions"
A 38-year old construction worker, with the online alias “Kim Jong Un”, were charged with inciting others to take part in unlawful assembly. He was convicted on October 19, 2020.
The man had posted 4 comments in a public group on Facebook in 2019, expressing that “everyone besieges San Uk Ling” and that “rescuing the righteous ones is the most important”. The San Uk Ling Reception Center that is located near the Hong Kong-China border is known to be a site where police tortured pro-democracy protesters by means of physical, verbal and sexual violations.
The judge claimed it was "obvious" that the defendant tried to mobilise more than a few dozen citizens, as he used the word “everyone”. The Judge said the action of “besieging San Uk Ling” would not result in the release of the arrestees and the participants of assembly would probably "perform other acts", which "must involve violence". Based on these beliefs, the judge ruled that the the defendant is guilty.
The defendant was remanded in custody before a sentence will be announced on November 3, 2020.
This is the first conviction based on online comments in a Hong Kong's court since the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Movement.
Source: InMedia #Oct19
https://bit.ly/3k7zu5H
#SanUkLing #OnlineComments