Hong Kong activist faints at court hearing

A HONG KONG court adjourned early this morning after a democracy activist fainted during a marathon hearing of 47 people charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, as authorities intensify a crackdown on the opposition.

Following over 12 hours of submissions from defence lawyers on bail applications that ran deep into the night, democrat and district councillor Clarisse Yeung fainted in the courtroom and was taken to hospital in an ambulance. Her condition was not immediately known. The magistrate, Victor So, adjourned proceedings to later today, with around half the defendants’ applications yet to be heard.

There had been protests outside the court earlier in support of the defendants, who include former opposition politicians and prominent young activists arrested in January. They are the largest group of people to be prosecuted so far under China’s sweeping new national security law.

The cases are a crushing blow to the city’s pro-democracy movement, with almost all key opposition figures now either facing charges, in jail or in exile. If found guilty, the defendants would face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

Hundreds of supporters queued to get inside the court, with some chanting “Liberate Hong Kong” – a protest slogan now banned.

The activists are accused of organising and participating in an unofficial and informal primary poll last July to select candidates for a legislative council election, which was later postponed.

Dominic Raab, the UK’S Foreign Secretary, said the decision to charge the 47 “shows in the starkest terms the [national security law is] being used to eliminate political dissent rather than restore order – contrary to what the Chinese government promised”. Beijing says the law has restored stability.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China said yesterday that authorities were using Covid restrictions to frustrate journalists’ work.