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Eastern Magistrates’ Court trial of Chan Yi-chun

(15 Jun) Chan’s mum gripped his arm tightly, and his girlfriend followed silently, worrying.

“As you could see from the news clips, he was severely beaten on the head. He lied down but they kept beating...” Chan’s mum frowned and mumbled, grasping her son’s arm in distress. She must have said it many times. “Yes we know, you should listen to what the lawyer has to say first”, Chan Yi-chun said to his mother. The legal team listened, and Chan himself understood that these were his mother’s concerns, not court testimony. Others understood as well and did not try to stop Chan’s mum from speaking.

“All we could do is to worry for him and support him.” As a mother, she could only worry. Not to mention that it was the third day of trial and the situation was not hopeful. In the judgement, the judge said that the police’s statement was “unequivocal”, “simple, direct”, “solid and consistent”, therefore, it is “the truth”. The defendant “repeatedly refused to listen” under the use of baton, and when faced with a “strong, forceful” man like him, the officer was bound to use “appropriate force”. “Fortunately the officer was wearing riot gear so there were no further casualties”, the judge added (a rather ironic comment).

Chan was repeatedly crushed and beaten by police with baton, yet the judge said, “The defendant was conscious enough to call out his name even though he was bleeding from the head. These actions are considered as resistance, not self-defense”. Looking at the medical report, the judge asked, “Was it the defendant who told the doctor that he was ‘hit on the head by a baton’?”. The judge continued to ask, “Why did he say this to the doctor? There is no evidence that these injuries were caused by a baton”. Chan was convicted on all three counts.

Upon hearing the sentence, Chan’s girlfriend and mother were in tears, but Chan did not cry. He was immediately remanded in custody.

He took three deep breaths, nodded at the public gallery from afar, and gazed at his mother, girlfriend and friends. He didn’t take his eyes off them.

The prison van drove past and the crowd saw him off. Before the sentencing, Chan recorded a voice message:
“After all, I fought for my freedom, although in the end I have lost it.”
“If I have decided to stay in Hong Kong, I have to accept its system and play by its rules.”

He is only a 19-year-old young man, and he has been convicted.

But at least he is a polite, truthful young man who is brave to face his future.

Photo: 6.15 Eastern Magistrates’ Court trial of Chan Yi-chun
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Source: Facebook

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