A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist accused of violating the Covid mask mandate while rallying outside court in February as the city’s largest national security trial began has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Dickson Chau, the vice-chairperson of pro-democracy group the League of Social Democrats (LSD), denied the charge in front of Magistrate Kestrel Lam at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday morning.
‘The truth is still unknown’
“The truth is still unknown, I plead not guilty,” Chau said. His case will be heard on September 25. Although unrepresented in court on Wednesday, Chau said he would engage a lawyer, but would not yet name any witnesses.
Chau was handed a HK$5,000 fine on February 6, the first day of the 47 democrats trial, after allegedly removing his mask for a moment. He and other members of the LSD had gathered outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building to rally support for the dozens of defendants accused of conspiring to commit subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
Chau was later taken away by police on suspicion of violating the Covid-19 mask mandate while speaking through a megaphone. Imposed in July 2020, the mandate was lifted in March. However a ban on wearing masks at rallies, which was introduced in October 2019 amid months-long pro-democracy protests, remains in place.
‘Political prosecutions’
After his court appearance, Chau and veteran LSD activist “the Bull” Tsang Kin-shing stood on the steps of the Kowloon City courthouse and chanted: “Freedom of protest must not be denied, shame on political prosecutions.”
They held up a banner that featured the same slogan and a second, which read: “Pandemic control by name, oppression and abuse of the mask mandate in reality.”
“If [I] sacrifice a little more time on my defence, it won’t just benefit me, but also the rest of society at large. I hope the police can explain the principles and standards behind my prosecution and what happened on the day of the incident during the trial,” Chau said.
Tsang, who will stand trial in July for allegedly displaying posters without government permission last May, criticised the government’s application of the mask mandate, and now its mask ban.
Tsang and Chau also rallied outside the courthouse before the mention, along with LSD members Raphael Wong, Chau Shu-wing, and its chairperson Chan Po-ying, who is married to detained former legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, InMedia reported.
The LSD vice-chair said he was prosecuted after he took off his mask for five seconds, and that the charge amounted to “political oppression.”
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