#Court
High Court Cites "Low Chance of Winning Appeal" as Reason to Refuse #AgnesChow's Bail Application
In December 2020, Agnes Chow, a former member of the now-disbanded Demosistō, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, after the court convicted her of "inciting and participating in an unauthorized assembly" during the June 21 police headquarters siege in 2019.
Chow was denied bail pending appeal before Magistrate Wong Sze-lai and was rejected by Judge Judianna Wai Ling.
The High Court issued their reasons for refusing bail on Dec 16, 2020, claiming that "Chow’s appeal did not have a very high or a reasonable chance of success, and even if Chow had served all or most of her sentence while pending appeal, it will not be considered unfair".
Source: In Media HK #Dec16
https://bit.ly/3h4FZpn
#RuleIfLaw #FreeAgnes
High Court Cites "Low Chance of Winning Appeal" as Reason to Refuse #AgnesChow's Bail Application
In December 2020, Agnes Chow, a former member of the now-disbanded Demosistō, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, after the court convicted her of "inciting and participating in an unauthorized assembly" during the June 21 police headquarters siege in 2019.
Chow was denied bail pending appeal before Magistrate Wong Sze-lai and was rejected by Judge Judianna Wai Ling.
The High Court issued their reasons for refusing bail on Dec 16, 2020, claiming that "Chow’s appeal did not have a very high or a reasonable chance of success, and even if Chow had served all or most of her sentence while pending appeal, it will not be considered unfair".
Source: In Media HK #Dec16
https://bit.ly/3h4FZpn
#RuleIfLaw #FreeAgnes
#PoliticalOppression #FailedState
Agnes Chow is now jailed as Category A criminal for reasons unexplained
Being jailed in Lo Wu Correctional Institutional for a month, young pro-democracy activist, #AgnesChow, 24, has been classified as Category A criminal and transported to Tai Lam Center for Women (TLCW) to serve the remaining jail term, a source revealed on Dec 31, 2020.
Shiu Ka-chun, a former lawmaker for the welfare sector who is familiar with the right of criminal, felt shocked as the new classification is disproportionate to Chow's charge and jail term.
According to Shiu, most Category A criminals are murderers and drug traffickers
Source: Apple Daily #Dec31
https://bit.ly/2WUV3wt
===
Related News
Hong Kong Young Pro-democracy Activists Tell Fellow Hongkongers Not to Be Afraid Before Their Trial
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26871
Agnes Chow is now jailed as Category A criminal for reasons unexplained
Being jailed in Lo Wu Correctional Institutional for a month, young pro-democracy activist, #AgnesChow, 24, has been classified as Category A criminal and transported to Tai Lam Center for Women (TLCW) to serve the remaining jail term, a source revealed on Dec 31, 2020.
Shiu Ka-chun, a former lawmaker for the welfare sector who is familiar with the right of criminal, felt shocked as the new classification is disproportionate to Chow's charge and jail term.
According to Shiu, most Category A criminals are murderers and drug traffickers
Source: Apple Daily #Dec31
https://bit.ly/2WUV3wt
===
Related News
Hong Kong Young Pro-democracy Activists Tell Fellow Hongkongers Not to Be Afraid Before Their Trial
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26871
#FreeAgnes
HK Authorities Lists Pro-democracy Activist Agnes Chow as Category A Criminal Alongside Murderers and Drug Traffickers
24 year-old Agnes Chow, a former member of Demosisto, was sentenced to 7 months in jail by the Hong Kong court, for a protest outside the police headquarters in 2019.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27694
Her years of commitment to the fight for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong has earned her the title of #RealMulan.
In late December 2020, it was reported that Chow was enlisted by the Hong Kong authorities as a Category A Criminal, alongside murderers and drug traffickers.
Image: RWBB #Dec31
https://www.facebook.com/453118411470994/posts/3605032476279556/
====
Related News:
Agnes Chow: "It is my honor to be able to participate in social movements"
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27201
Agnes Chow: Hong Kong’s 'real Mulan' fighting for democracy
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27334
#AgnesChow #CatACriminal #PoliticalPersecution #HumanitarianCrisis
HK Authorities Lists Pro-democracy Activist Agnes Chow as Category A Criminal Alongside Murderers and Drug Traffickers
24 year-old Agnes Chow, a former member of Demosisto, was sentenced to 7 months in jail by the Hong Kong court, for a protest outside the police headquarters in 2019.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27694
Her years of commitment to the fight for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong has earned her the title of #RealMulan.
In late December 2020, it was reported that Chow was enlisted by the Hong Kong authorities as a Category A Criminal, alongside murderers and drug traffickers.
Image: RWBB #Dec31
https://www.facebook.com/453118411470994/posts/3605032476279556/
====
Related News:
Agnes Chow: "It is my honor to be able to participate in social movements"
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27201
Agnes Chow: Hong Kong’s 'real Mulan' fighting for democracy
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27334
#AgnesChow #CatACriminal #PoliticalPersecution #HumanitarianCrisis
#FreeAgnes #Japan
Agnes Chow Mentioned in the Entrance Exam of a Prestigious Japanese Junior High school
Source: Stand News #Feb6
#AgnesChow #BeWater #Japan
Read more: ⬇️⬇️
Agnes Chow Mentioned in the Entrance Exam of a Prestigious Japanese Junior High school
Source: Stand News #Feb6
#AgnesChow #BeWater #Japan
Read more: ⬇️⬇️
#FreeAgnes #Japan
Agnes Chow Mentioned in the Entrance Exam of a Prestigious Japanese Junior High schoo
Recently, many private junior high schools in Japan are holding entrance exams. An exam question at the Seiko Gakuin Junior & Senior High School, a prestigious school in Yokohama, sparked discussions between netizens in Hong Kong and Japan because the question mentioned Agnes Chow, the National Security Law and Keyakizaka46’s song “Fukyōwaon”.
The question appeared in the Social Studies paper, where an Asahi Shimbun newspaper article published on August 2020 was chosen and the candidates needed to answer questions accordingly. The article narrates how Agnes Chow was arrested and released, and the fact that she mentioned the song “Fukyōwaon” (means discordant sound) kept coming to her mind when she was held in custody, making her determined to protect her home. This article has attracted a lot of attention at that time.
Apart from asking where it happened and who was involved in the exam question, it also mentioned “be water”, one of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement slogan, quoting Xunzi (a Chinese Confucian philosopher) on his saying “water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn a boat”, subsequently asking the student candidate to define the meaning of “water”. The fourth question asked the candidates to answer in one sentence how they have experienced having denied their freedom. The last question linked Agnes’s arrest to Article 21 of the Japanese Constitution and asked the candidate to fill in what freedom is protected under this law.
Source: Stand News #Feb6
#AgnesChow #BeWater #EntranceExam
Agnes Chow Mentioned in the Entrance Exam of a Prestigious Japanese Junior High schoo
Recently, many private junior high schools in Japan are holding entrance exams. An exam question at the Seiko Gakuin Junior & Senior High School, a prestigious school in Yokohama, sparked discussions between netizens in Hong Kong and Japan because the question mentioned Agnes Chow, the National Security Law and Keyakizaka46’s song “Fukyōwaon”.
The question appeared in the Social Studies paper, where an Asahi Shimbun newspaper article published on August 2020 was chosen and the candidates needed to answer questions accordingly. The article narrates how Agnes Chow was arrested and released, and the fact that she mentioned the song “Fukyōwaon” (means discordant sound) kept coming to her mind when she was held in custody, making her determined to protect her home. This article has attracted a lot of attention at that time.
Apart from asking where it happened and who was involved in the exam question, it also mentioned “be water”, one of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement slogan, quoting Xunzi (a Chinese Confucian philosopher) on his saying “water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn a boat”, subsequently asking the student candidate to define the meaning of “water”. The fourth question asked the candidates to answer in one sentence how they have experienced having denied their freedom. The last question linked Agnes’s arrest to Article 21 of the Japanese Constitution and asked the candidate to fill in what freedom is protected under this law.
Source: Stand News #Feb6
#AgnesChow #BeWater #EntranceExam
#FreeAgnes #PoliticalPersecution
#AgnesChow: Trying Hard to Adapt to Life in Prison
Source: Stand News; #Feb16
Read more
⬇️⬇️
#AgnesChow: Trying Hard to Adapt to Life in Prison
Source: Stand News; #Feb16
Read more
⬇️⬇️
#FreeAgnes #PoliticalPersecution
#AgnesChow: Trying Hard to Adapt to Life in Prison
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, a former member of #Demosisto, was arrested and imprisoned for 10 months on charges of inciting, organizing and partaking illegal assembly.
A friend of her visited Chow during the Lunar New Year and wrote on her Facebook afterwards. She said Chow’s life in prison was mostly about reading, listening to the radio and looking forward to receiving letters.
She said Chow has just finished reading #NorwegianWood and wanted to carry on reading books by Japanese authors #HarukiMurakami and #KeigoHigashino.
Chow told her friend to send gratitude to her supporters, saying that she is working hard to adapt to prison life.
"During the time in prison, my mental and health conditions have not been well. I hope I can take a break and regain my health once being discharged in June," said Chow.
Source: Stand News; #Feb16
https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E5%91%A8%E5%BA%AD-%E4%BB%8D%E5%9C%A8%E5%8A%AA%E5%8A%9B%E9%81%A9%E6%87%89%E7%9B%A3%E7%8D%84%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB-%E6%9C%9F%E5%BE%85%E6%94%B6%E4%BF%A1%E8%A7%A3%E6%82%B6/
#Prison #Reading #HongKongProtest
#AgnesChow: Trying Hard to Adapt to Life in Prison
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, a former member of #Demosisto, was arrested and imprisoned for 10 months on charges of inciting, organizing and partaking illegal assembly.
A friend of her visited Chow during the Lunar New Year and wrote on her Facebook afterwards. She said Chow’s life in prison was mostly about reading, listening to the radio and looking forward to receiving letters.
She said Chow has just finished reading #NorwegianWood and wanted to carry on reading books by Japanese authors #HarukiMurakami and #KeigoHigashino.
Chow told her friend to send gratitude to her supporters, saying that she is working hard to adapt to prison life.
"During the time in prison, my mental and health conditions have not been well. I hope I can take a break and regain my health once being discharged in June," said Chow.
Source: Stand News; #Feb16
https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E5%91%A8%E5%BA%AD-%E4%BB%8D%E5%9C%A8%E5%8A%AA%E5%8A%9B%E9%81%A9%E6%87%89%E7%9B%A3%E7%8D%84%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB-%E6%9C%9F%E5%BE%85%E6%94%B6%E4%BF%A1%E8%A7%A3%E6%82%B6/
#Prison #Reading #HongKongProtest
UK House of Common Raises Concerns on the Severe Downturn in Hong Kong’s Situation. Minister of State for Asia Refuses to Comment on the Freezing of Former HK Legislative Councillor Ted Hui’s HSBC Bank Accounts
The House of Common of the British Parliament hosted an urgent inquiry on the imprisonment of Demosisto’s Secretary-General Joshua Wong, Chairperson Ivan Lam, and party member Agnes Chow on 7th December. Responding on behalf of the UK government, Minister of State for Asia Nigel Adams expressed his concerns on the issue of Hong Kong and the series of cases targeting pro-democratic activists, including the arrest of the three youngsters mentioned above and the media mogul Jimmy Lai from Next Media.
Adams had already expressed his concerns for the aforementioned cases to the Hong Kong government as well as to Beijing senior officials, asking them to adhere to their international obligation. At the time of the inquiry, there were judges from UK’s Supreme Court amongst the group of overseas judges at Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. Adams reiterated that UK judges had always played an important role in supporting judicial independence in Hong Kong, and that this independence was key in the success of Hong Kong. As a result, the UK government had wished to carry on in this aspect. However, the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in July had brought up real problems and contradicted with China’s promise to protect Hong Kong’s fundamental rights and freedom under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. UK’s Supreme Court had been in constant communication with the UK government, examining the situation in Hong Kong and the stand from UK judges.
Parliament members questioned Adams why the UK government was not doing more when the situation in Hong Kong was becoming increasingly severe. They used the freezing of the bank accounts of former Hong Kong LegCo member Ted Hui as an example, suggesting that the UK government could perform countermeasures and sanction Beijing’s banks in return. In his response, Adams reiterated the government’s original stand, stating that he would not comment on individual cases and believed the business community would have their own judgement on Hong Kong’s situation under the newly imposed National Security Law.
Dissatisfied with the response from Adams, former Conservative Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith described the freezing of the bank accounts of Ted Hui and his family as an “outrage”, and that the UK government should stop these actions at once. However, Adams still did not respond directly but reiterated instead that China had made historical promises and would like to see China adhere to those promises.
#UK #China #HongKong #UKParliament #HouseofCommon #TedHui #BankAccountFrozen #Demosisto #JimmyLai #JoshuaWong #IvanLam #AgnesChow #NigelAdams #HongKongNationalSecurityLaw #CourtofFinalAppeal #SupremeCourt
Source: Stand News #Dec08
https://bit.ly/30VTC2x
The House of Common of the British Parliament hosted an urgent inquiry on the imprisonment of Demosisto’s Secretary-General Joshua Wong, Chairperson Ivan Lam, and party member Agnes Chow on 7th December. Responding on behalf of the UK government, Minister of State for Asia Nigel Adams expressed his concerns on the issue of Hong Kong and the series of cases targeting pro-democratic activists, including the arrest of the three youngsters mentioned above and the media mogul Jimmy Lai from Next Media.
Adams had already expressed his concerns for the aforementioned cases to the Hong Kong government as well as to Beijing senior officials, asking them to adhere to their international obligation. At the time of the inquiry, there were judges from UK’s Supreme Court amongst the group of overseas judges at Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. Adams reiterated that UK judges had always played an important role in supporting judicial independence in Hong Kong, and that this independence was key in the success of Hong Kong. As a result, the UK government had wished to carry on in this aspect. However, the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in July had brought up real problems and contradicted with China’s promise to protect Hong Kong’s fundamental rights and freedom under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. UK’s Supreme Court had been in constant communication with the UK government, examining the situation in Hong Kong and the stand from UK judges.
Parliament members questioned Adams why the UK government was not doing more when the situation in Hong Kong was becoming increasingly severe. They used the freezing of the bank accounts of former Hong Kong LegCo member Ted Hui as an example, suggesting that the UK government could perform countermeasures and sanction Beijing’s banks in return. In his response, Adams reiterated the government’s original stand, stating that he would not comment on individual cases and believed the business community would have their own judgement on Hong Kong’s situation under the newly imposed National Security Law.
Dissatisfied with the response from Adams, former Conservative Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith described the freezing of the bank accounts of Ted Hui and his family as an “outrage”, and that the UK government should stop these actions at once. However, Adams still did not respond directly but reiterated instead that China had made historical promises and would like to see China adhere to those promises.
#UK #China #HongKong #UKParliament #HouseofCommon #TedHui #BankAccountFrozen #Demosisto #JimmyLai #JoshuaWong #IvanLam #AgnesChow #NigelAdams #HongKongNationalSecurityLaw #CourtofFinalAppeal #SupremeCourt
Source: Stand News #Dec08
https://bit.ly/30VTC2x
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#FreeAgnes
Agnes Chow Released After Being Jailed for 10 Months
On June 12, 2021, pro-democracy activist #AgnesChow, member of the now-dissolved #Demosisto, will be able to leave the prison Tai Lam Centre for Women.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30062
Chow has been jailed for 10 months after the court convicted her of surrounding the Police Headquarters on June 21, 2019 during the #AntiELAB movement.
Despite her young age, Chow's long time engagement with Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and her courageous behaviour in defense of rights and freedom have earned her the title of #RealMulan among the supporting netizens.
Source: Internet #Jun11
#PoliticalPrisoner #NeverForget #NeverForgive #HongKongYouth
Agnes Chow Released After Being Jailed for 10 Months
On June 12, 2021, pro-democracy activist #AgnesChow, member of the now-dissolved #Demosisto, will be able to leave the prison Tai Lam Centre for Women.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30062
Chow has been jailed for 10 months after the court convicted her of surrounding the Police Headquarters on June 21, 2019 during the #AntiELAB movement.
Despite her young age, Chow's long time engagement with Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and her courageous behaviour in defense of rights and freedom have earned her the title of #RealMulan among the supporting netizens.
Source: Internet #Jun11
#PoliticalPrisoner #NeverForget #NeverForgive #HongKongYouth
#FirstHand #Jun12
Agnes Chow Welcomed by Pro-democracy Citizens as She is Free from Prison
At around 10am on June 12, 2021, pro-democracy activist, #AgnesChow, walked out of Tai Lam Institutional Center after serving a 10-month jail term for surrounding the police headquarters in Hong Kong during the #AntiELAB movement.
Watch Animation:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30058
Despite the rain, supporting citizens welcomed Chow and chanted "Add Oil" to her, as she was ushered by her friends and other pro-democracy activists to a private vehicle in white.
Her fellow activists #JoshuaWong and #IvanLam, also former members of the now-disbanded #Demosisto, were also convicted in the same case but with a longer sentence. They are still in prison at the moment.
#FreeAgnes #PoliticalPrisoner #PoliticalProsecution
Agnes Chow Welcomed by Pro-democracy Citizens as She is Free from Prison
At around 10am on June 12, 2021, pro-democracy activist, #AgnesChow, walked out of Tai Lam Institutional Center after serving a 10-month jail term for surrounding the police headquarters in Hong Kong during the #AntiELAB movement.
Watch Animation:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30058
Despite the rain, supporting citizens welcomed Chow and chanted "Add Oil" to her, as she was ushered by her friends and other pro-democracy activists to a private vehicle in white.
Her fellow activists #JoshuaWong and #IvanLam, also former members of the now-disbanded #Demosisto, were also convicted in the same case but with a longer sentence. They are still in prison at the moment.
#FreeAgnes #PoliticalPrisoner #PoliticalProsecution
Agnes Chow Interviewed on Japanese News, Calls for Continued Concern for Hong Kong
source: ReNews #Dec04
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
source: ReNews #Dec04
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Agnes Chow Interviewed on Japanese News, Calls for Continued Concern for Hong Kong
Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow announced that she has left for Canada, and will not be returning to Hong Kong according to the bail terms set by National Security police. A number of Japanese news outlets had interviewed her today.
Chow, who speaks fluent Japanese, is popular in Japanese media as a Hong Kong pro-democracy figure. News stations TV Tokyo and JNN released online interviews with her today, in which she noted that she was to return to Hong Kong in December and report to police. "But I've decided not to return," she said. "I've decided that I can no longer return to Hong Kong anymore."
In her JNN interview, she detailed that she is scheduled to report to National Security police on Dec 28, but has now decided to abandon bail. In announcing her decision ahead of time, she calls on the international community to maintain their concern for Hong Kong. She will continue to speak of her experiences in the coming days, she said.
source: ReNews #Dec04
https://www.facebook.com/renewshk/posts/pfbid02QmAk8iZ6bCjgsXrkK7ACVGfoVRrJB9onVKgcWhXS6z3k4i4vFHB4J5kXKR8CdEdMl
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow announced that she has left for Canada, and will not be returning to Hong Kong according to the bail terms set by National Security police. A number of Japanese news outlets had interviewed her today.
Chow, who speaks fluent Japanese, is popular in Japanese media as a Hong Kong pro-democracy figure. News stations TV Tokyo and JNN released online interviews with her today, in which she noted that she was to return to Hong Kong in December and report to police. "But I've decided not to return," she said. "I've decided that I can no longer return to Hong Kong anymore."
In her JNN interview, she detailed that she is scheduled to report to National Security police on Dec 28, but has now decided to abandon bail. In announcing her decision ahead of time, she calls on the international community to maintain their concern for Hong Kong. She will continue to speak of her experiences in the coming days, she said.
source: ReNews #Dec04
https://www.facebook.com/renewshk/posts/pfbid02QmAk8iZ6bCjgsXrkK7ACVGfoVRrJB9onVKgcWhXS6z3k4i4vFHB4J5kXKR8CdEdMl
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Facebook
ReNews
周庭昨晚發文宣布已前往加拿大，並會棄保不回香港報到，今日陸續有日本傳媒播出周庭的訪問。
周庭在日本知名度非常高，今日日本東京電視台和 JNN 分別播出周庭連線受訪片段，其中她在東京電視台的片段中指，她今年 12 月必須回港報到，「但我現在已經決定不再回香港了。我已經決定再也不能回香港了。」
而在 JNN 片段中，周庭指她原本 12 月 28...
周庭在日本知名度非常高，今日日本東京電視台和 JNN 分別播出周庭連線受訪片段，其中她在東京電視台的片段中指，她今年 12 月必須回港報到，「但我現在已經決定不再回香港了。我已經決定再也不能回香港了。」
而在 JNN 片段中，周庭指她原本 12 月 28...
Reuters: Prominent Hong Kong activist moves to Canada after two-year silence
source: Reuters #Dec04
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
source: Reuters #Dec04
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Reuters: Prominent Hong Kong activist moves to Canada after two-year silence
One of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy activists, who was jailed as part of a China-imposed security crackdown, said on Sunday she had left Hong Kong for Canada after pressure from authorities left her with mental health issues.
Agnes Chow, 27 - a core member of a now-disbanded group of younger activists, including Joshua Wong, who helped drive Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement - said on her Instagram account late on Sunday that she had left Hong Kong for studies in Canada.
Chow's posts - her first public comments since her release from prison in June 2021 - detailed how she had remained under "supervision" from the authorities.
Chow was sentenced to 10 months in jail in Nov 2020 over an unauthorised assembly charge. She was later released on bail on the condition she check in with police regularly, and her passport was confiscated as she faced an alleged national security charge, along with others including pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai.
Chow said it was as if the police wanted to remind her that she hadn't regained her freedom, and to "not try to do anything". She said the pressures led her to be diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"Several emotional illnesses put my body and mind in a very unstable state," added Chow.
Reuters could not reach Chow, who arrived in Canada in September, for comment.
Hong Kong police in a statement on Monday condemned Chow's "irresponsible behaviours that blatantly challenge law and order" and urged her not to be a fugitive for the rest of her life.
Chow said it was only this year, after she was accepted by a university in Toronto, that the police agreed to return her passport if she travelled to the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
The trip included visits to Chinese tech major Tencent and a "patriotic" exhibition on China's achievements.
"I was forced to go to mainland China in exchange for the opportunity to study abroad," she wrote.
Chow was due to report to Hong Kong's security police this month but decided not to return out of consideration for her personal safety and well being. "Maybe I won't return for the rest of my life," she wrote.
source: Reuters #Dec04
https://www.reuters.com/world/prominent-hong-kong-activist-quits-canada-after-two-year-silence-2023-12-03/
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
One of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy activists, who was jailed as part of a China-imposed security crackdown, said on Sunday she had left Hong Kong for Canada after pressure from authorities left her with mental health issues.
Agnes Chow, 27 - a core member of a now-disbanded group of younger activists, including Joshua Wong, who helped drive Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement - said on her Instagram account late on Sunday that she had left Hong Kong for studies in Canada.
Chow's posts - her first public comments since her release from prison in June 2021 - detailed how she had remained under "supervision" from the authorities.
Chow was sentenced to 10 months in jail in Nov 2020 over an unauthorised assembly charge. She was later released on bail on the condition she check in with police regularly, and her passport was confiscated as she faced an alleged national security charge, along with others including pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai.
Chow said it was as if the police wanted to remind her that she hadn't regained her freedom, and to "not try to do anything". She said the pressures led her to be diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"Several emotional illnesses put my body and mind in a very unstable state," added Chow.
Reuters could not reach Chow, who arrived in Canada in September, for comment.
Hong Kong police in a statement on Monday condemned Chow's "irresponsible behaviours that blatantly challenge law and order" and urged her not to be a fugitive for the rest of her life.
Chow said it was only this year, after she was accepted by a university in Toronto, that the police agreed to return her passport if she travelled to the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
The trip included visits to Chinese tech major Tencent and a "patriotic" exhibition on China's achievements.
"I was forced to go to mainland China in exchange for the opportunity to study abroad," she wrote.
Chow was due to report to Hong Kong's security police this month but decided not to return out of consideration for her personal safety and well being. "Maybe I won't return for the rest of my life," she wrote.
source: Reuters #Dec04
https://www.reuters.com/world/prominent-hong-kong-activist-quits-canada-after-two-year-silence-2023-12-03/
#AgnesChow #AntiELAB #Exile #NationalSecurityLaw
Reuters
Prominent Hong Kong activist moves to Canada after two-year silence
One of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy activists, who was jailed as part of a China-imposed security crackdown, said on Sunday she had left Hong Kong for Canada after pressure from authorities left her with mental health issues.