A Hong Kong court has denied bail to a student leader after she was accused of conspiring to incite subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
The spokesperson for activist group Student Politicism, Alice Wong, appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts in front of Acting Chief Magistrate Peter Law on Thursday.
Wong stands accused of “inciting other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in overthrowing or undermining the basic system of the People’s Republic of China established by the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China” along with Convenor Wong Yat-chin, former secretary general Chan Chi-sum, and ex-spokesperson of the group Jessica Chu.
The 19-year-old was also accused of inciting others to “overthrow the body of central power of the People’s Republic of China or the body of power of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”
Some people sitting in the public gallery stood up to look at Wong as she stepped into the dock. Wong was dressed in a white shirt and had her hair tied up.
Bail denied
The prosecution applied to adjourn the case to November 3, awaiting the transfer of documents to be handled at the District Court.
As Law announced his decision to deny bail, some people in the public gallery said “what?” in apparent disbelief. When Wong stepped away from the dock, people shouted “hang in there,” and a woman broke down in tears as the defendant left.
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.
The national security law criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure.
Wong Yat-chin, Chan, and Chu, appeared in court on Tuesday, all were denied bail and remanded into custody.
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