Vice-chairperson of the group behind the annual Tiananmen Massacre vigil Chow Hang-tung was granted bail by a Hong Kong court on Thursday after being remanded in custody for over a month.
Chow, a barrister and member of the Hong Kong Alliance, appeared at the High Court in front of Justice Judianna Barnes. She was charged with inciting others to knowingly participate in a banned rally on the 32nd anniversary of the 1989 crackdown.
Chow had to pay a cash bail of HK$50,000, offer a surety of HK$50,000, hand over all travel documents, and submit a declaration that she does not hold a BNO passport, Stand News reported.
The 36-year-old also had to live at her reported address and report to the police once per week.
Under court reporting restrictions, written and broadcast reports are limited to only include the result of a bail proceedings, the name of the person applying for bail and their representation, and the offence concerned.
Trials starting from October
The barrister was first arrested on the morning of June 4 for allegedly publicising the banned commemorative assembly on social media. Police banned the annual vigil for a second consecutive year citing Covid-19 concerns and sealed off the Victoria Park venue to prevent people from gathering.
The Tiananmen massacre occurred on June 4, 1989 ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people died when the People’s Liberation Army was deployed to crack down on protesters in Beijing.
Chow had been remanded in custody since July after her bail was revoked ahead of the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong’s Handover. The trial will begin on October 5, and is estimated to take two days.
Chow was also among the group of pro-democracy activists accused of inciting others to knowingly take part, holding, or knowingly taking part in an unauthorised assembly on June 4, 2020, to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the crackdown. The trial will start on November 1 and is estimated to last 10 days.
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