#PoliticalPersecution
#Court Refuses Bail and Detains HK's Pro-democracy Activist Charged with 'Sedition' Without Trial

Pro-democracy activist 'Fast Beat' Tam Tak-chi, vice-chairperson of People Power, will remain in custody for at least 2 months, as the court rejected his bail application on Sept 17, 2020.

Tam was arrested by the police on Sept 6, 2020 and charged with "sedition" for chanting familar protest slogans including "Five Demands Not One Less".

Legislator Ray Chan, chairperson of People Power, described it as a political persecution: The government and the police force are using their power and the law to jail Tam before a trial can take place, in order to intimidate the rest of the population. Chan cited former US president Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Only thing we have to fear is fear itself". Chan said, "We are not afraid, we'll go on to express ourselves and do what Hongkongers deem right".

Erica Yuen Lai-ming, former chairperson of People Power, also supported Tam in court. She emphasized that Tam did nothing illegal and thst the authorities are oppressing those who are outspoken about their views. She questioned the supposed damage Tam had caused, to an extent where a bail was not granted.

Former legislator 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung and district councilor Tsang Kin-shing also voiced their support for Tam on site.

Source: InMedia #Sept17
https://bit.ly/32zGfa6

#TamTakChi #RayChan #EricaYuen #PeoplePower
#FranklinRoosevelt
#PoliticalOppression #RulebyLaw #Sedition

#Court #FailedState #SeparationofPowers
#HKU Chair Professor of Law Johannes Chan: Judicial Independence Will Be Completely Lost When Judges' Rulings are Required to be 'Patriotic' to China

The deputy director of the PRC's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Zhang Xiao-ming said on Nov 17, 2020 that 'patriotism should come before democracy and freedom', he then called for judicial reform in Hong Kong.

Johannes Chan Man-mun, the Chair Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), expressed his concern in a Commercial Radio Hong Kong's program that the requirement of 'patriotism' would be imposed on the judicial officers.

Chan then added that 'patriotism' was only a political consideration which could not be measured by the objective standards; if judges in Hong Kong were required to follow the mainland Chinese standards, then when the judges' rulings were not in line with the government's wishes or did not incriminate those accused by the Nation Security Law, they would be considered 'unpatriotic', such situation would put judicial independence in jeopardy.

The prosecution has required the case of People Power's Tam Tak-chi, who faces 14 charges related to 'making seditious remarks and incitement to take part in an unauthorized assembly', to be handled by the designated national security judges.

Chan said that in general, since the principles of fair trial and judicial independence were involved, both sides of prosecution and defense did not have the right to appoint judges, otherwise, the trial would be considered unfair.

Source: Apple Daily #Nov18
https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20201118/JA333PHL45ECRD3KYSXE62X2KQ/

#JudicialIndependence #NationalSecurityLaw #Patriotism #JohannesChan #TamTakChi #ZhangXiaoMing

#JimmyLai #PoliticalProsecution
Pro-democracy activists face unreasonably long detention even before hearing

Meanwhile, pro-democracy activist #TamTakChi faces similar injustice. He has already been detained for at least four months as of December 2020. He is charged with incitement including to chant familiar protest slogans. The court refused his bail application for numerous times.

Hearing of his case is scheduled in May 2021. It implies that he is likely to be detained for nine months before hearing. Former lawmaker and chairperson of People Power Ray Chan said, "If he is acquitted, he will have been jailed for nine months."

Chan pointed out that this is the result of the conspiracy of totalitarian, the legal system and the court.

Source: Apple Daily; Cupid News #Dec2
https://www.facebook.com/117540932243292/posts/700537380610308/?d=n

#HumanitarianCrisis #106Crackdown
#UN Condemns the HK Gov't for Abusing Human Rights and Freedom with #NationalSecurityLaw

Following the mass arrests of 53 political activists, academics, former legislators, current district councillors, and lawyers on Jan 6, 2021, the police arrested pro-democrscy activists #JoshuaWong and #TamTakChi for the breach of national secutity law on Jan 7, despite they were already detained. Wong was questioned without any lawyer.

The United Nations Human Rights Office expressed deep concern and said the "arrests indicate that – as had been feared – the offence of subversion under the National Security Law is indeed being used to detain individuals for exercising legitimate rights to participate in political and public life."

The Office reiterated that "offences such as subversion under the National Security Law are vague and overly broad, facilitating abusive or arbitrary implementation."

Source: #UNHRO; RTHK #Jan7
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1569156-20210107.htm

#Court #FreedomOfSpeech
Chanting ‘Hongkongers, add oil’ could be seditious

#NSL #NationalSecurityLaw #TamTakChi #FastBeat #Sedition #Secession

Source: InmediaHK; #Oct18
https://bit.ly/3n5hpIg

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#Court #FreedomOfSpeech
Chanting ‘Hongkongers, add oil’ could be seditious

The prosecution’s expert witness, History Prof. Lau Chi-pang at #LingnanUniversity in Hong Kong testified in the trial of former radio presenter Tam Tak-chi (a.k.a Fast Beat) on October 18.

Lau told the District Court that “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” or “Hongkongers, add oil” were capable of inciting others to break the national security law.

He said "Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” was originated with the activist and later picked up by protesters who vandalised Beijing’s liaison office in Sai Wan on July 21, 2019. He maintained that it is secessionist in nature. Other expressions such as “Hongkongers, add oil” and “no rioters but tyranny” could also have breached the law.

Lau was also an expert witness in Hong Kong’s first national security law trial in which defendant Tong Ying-kit was jailed for nine years.

Besides, Standard Chartered Hong Kong #Marathon 2021 would be the first high profile athletic event after the National Security Law implementation in Hong Kong.

Reporters queried in the briefing sessions whether a runner's outfit bearing controversial slogans could be disqualified and whether the organiser would report the case to local police. The organiser declined to address the question initially.

When being pressed afterwards, the organiser suggested runners to amend the slogan to "Runners Add Oil" instead of "Hong Kong Add Oil", as "Hong Kong has always been progressing, never regressing".

They declined to comment on how the display of the protest flag, Liberate Hong Kong Revolution of our Times, would be handled, "it's not a Marathon's matter".

#NSL #NationalSecurityLaw #TamTakChi #FastBeat #Sedition #Secession

Source: InmediaHK; #Oct18
https://bit.ly/3n5hpIg

#Court
Hong Kong democrat and DJ #TamTakChi jailed for 40 months over 11 charges, including ‘uttering seditious words’

Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Apr19

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#Court
Hong Kong democrat and DJ #TamTakChi jailed for 40 months over 11 charges, including ‘uttering seditious words’

//Hong Kong pro-democracy activist “Fast Beat” Tam Tak-chi has been sentenced to 40 months in jail and given a HK$5,000 fine after being convicted of 11 charges, including seven counts under the colonial-era sedition law.

The DJ and former vice-chair of People Power has been held in custody since he was arrested in September 2020. He appeared in front of handpicked national security judge Stanley Chan at the District Court on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old activist faced 14 charges, including “uttering seditious words,” disorderly conduct in a public place, conspiracy to utter seditious words, holding or convening an unauthorised assembly, incitement to knowingly take part in an unauthorised assembly, and refusing to obey an order given by an authorised officer...

After the court session ended, Tam shouted: “Mum, take care of yourself, you will have to live longer to wait for me.”

Tam’s ex-DJ partner, former lawmaker Raymond Chan, was among those sitting in the public gallery. People stood up and waved at Tam as he stepped into the dock, and the activist waved back.

Tam is among the 47 pro-democracy figures awaiting trial under the #NationalSecurityLaw over their roles in a primary election for the 2020 Legislative Council election, which was later postponed.//

Read more:
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/04/20/breaking-hong-kong-democrat-and-dj-jailed-for-40-months-over-11-charges-including-uttering-sedition-words/

Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Apr19

#FastBeat #Sedition #Censorship #Save47

#47Democrats #PrimaryElection #SubvertionofStatePower

#LawrenceLauWaiChung said, "Not guilty, sir," elegant as usual.

#LamCheukTing almost roared, "I don't plead guilty!"

#LeungKwokHung (a.k.a. #LongHair) said, "[I'm] Innocent. Plead not guilty."

#WinnieYuWaiMing raised her right hand and stated, "Not guilty."

The magistrate, Peter Law Tak Chuen, referred the 17 defendants to the High Court for trial.

The other 29 of them chose to plead guilty. Among them, #TiffanyYuenKaWai, #FrankieFungTatChuen, #CarolNgManYee, #GaryFanKwokWai and #HendickLuiChiHang, refused to agree all facts of the cases.

Everyone has a different way of pleading guilty:

#TiffanyYuen whispered, "Plead ah! (認呀！)."

#FergusLeungFongWai said with a tone of no choice, "Plead guilty lo! (認囉！)."

#FrankieFung said in Cantonese, "I plead guilty," then repeated in Mandarin, "I plead guilty, I know I was wrong,” causing the auditorium to laugh and #KwokKaKi thumbs up with a smile.

#LauChakFung just left his seat for the washroom, and somebody said, "he will plead guilty even in the toilet."

#JoshuaWong slowly spoke out, "Plead~ guilty~."

#LiKaTat shouted, "PG!"

#TamTakChi (a.k.a. #FastBeat) confidently said while brushing his hair, "I am 'handsome'" [Handsome has a similar sound as "plead" in Cantonese]

#WuChiWai followed, "Plead ah! (認呀！)," looking at #TamTakChi, and they both laughed.

#SamCheungHoSum declared, "I plead, I plead, I plead (認啊認啊認啊)" in one go.

#VentusLauWingHong said, "For the love of my country, I plead guilty," raising uproar among defendants.

Law, the magistrate, asked whether the 26 defendants agreed with the case.

#AuNokHin stood up at that moment and expressed heavily, "I confirmed the case, and I would like to apologise to all defendants because I could not ensure the election was legal." He then slightly bowed to the defendants.

#AndrewChiuKaYin also apologized, but expressionless, "I confirm the overall case, and I apologise to everyone who helped in the pre-election." Some defendants jeered, "What are you saying (講呢啲)?"

#TamTakChi (a.k.a #FastBeat) shouted as usual, "I agree with the plot!", followed by a severe facial expression, "I agree, I agree (同意啊、同意啊)," which brought laughter to the courtroom. He then turned around, spoke to #ClaudiaMo, "Yes, excellent!" and raised his arms to the air with thumbs up.

#LeslieShumOFai interrupted, "I am not a comedy actor."

The magistrates confirmed whether Tam agreed with the entire case. He answered, "Yes, then I agree with the full case." Law raises the question once more, "You agree?" "The plot? Yes." Tam replied

It is understood that there will be no jury at the trial. This case will be handled by three designed judges, as in the case of #TongYingKit. It reminds us of #OwenChowKaShing, who did not plead guilty and yelled at the court after the restriction on reporting was lifted, "Trial without a jury is unjust."

This was probably the most potent conclusion in West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts for a year and a half.

Source: InMedia #Aug18

https://www.inmediahk.net/node/%E7%A4%BE%E9%81%8B/%E3%80%90%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B847%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E3%80%91%E8%A8%98%E4%B8%80%E6%AC%A1%E9%95%B7%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%A9%E7%9A%84%E7%AD%94%E8%BE%AF-%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E8%AA%AA%E7%AC%91%E3%80%81%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA%E8%87%B4%E6%AD%89?utm_source=dable