HONG KONG, Sept 3: A Hong Kong court on Thursday rejected appeals filed by Cardinal Joseph Zen and four other former trustees of a now defunct humanitarian fund that supported people arrested during the city’s 2019 anti-government protests.
The 94 year old retired Catholic bishop was among five trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided financial assistance for medical treatment and legal expenses linked to the protests. The fund ended its operations in October 2021.
Singer Denise Ho, scholar Hui Po Keung, and former pro-democracy lawmakers Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho were the other trustees.
The five were convicted in 2022 and fined HK$4,000 (about USD 512) each for violating the Societies Ordinance. The law requires local organisations to register or seek an exemption within one month of being established. Their convictions marked the first case of its kind under the legislation.
The ruling has drawn attention because of its implications for freedom of association in Hong Kong, particularly amid sweeping political changes following the 2019 demonstrations.
Zen and the other trustees were initially arrested in 2022 on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong’s national security legislation imposed by Beijing. However, they were ultimately not charged under the security law.
Zen’s arrest had sparked concern among members of the Catholic community. Following his conviction, the cardinal said his case should not be interpreted as an issue concerning religious freedom in Hong Kong.
The 2019 demonstrations began in opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have permitted the transfer of criminal suspects to mainland China. The protests subsequently developed into months of sometimes violent unrest.
Hong Kong’s national security law, introduced in 2020, has since resulted in the imprisonment of numerous pro-democracy activists and significantly weakened the city’s opposition movement.
Critics have argued that the legislation has eroded freedoms previously enjoyed by Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 after more than a century of British rule.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities maintain that the national security framework is essential for restoring stability and safeguarding the city’s long-term development.