HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court docket jailed pro-democracy activist Owen Chow for 3 days on Wednesday and fined his solicitor, Phyllis Woo, for taking a doc out of jail with out authorisation.
Chow is certainly one of 14 individuals convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion in a landmark nationwide safety case in Might that drew worldwide criticism and will see him jailed for all times, however he awaits sentencing, with that case within the mitigation stage.
He and Woo, 31, have been convicted on the unauthorised doc cost in July, after having pleaded not responsible. Chow’s sentence is to be added to the opposite jail time he faces, whereas Woo was ordered to pay a high-quality of HK$1,800 ($231).
Chow’s defence lawyer, Jeffrey Tam, stated he would enchantment towards the conviction and sentence.
Chow is at the moment serving a jail time period of greater than 5 years after having being discovered responsible of occupying town’s legislature throughout mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Throughout a authorized go to on the Lai Chi Kok Reception Heart on Might 2 final yr, he gave Woo the “unauthorised” grievance kind on the centre of the case.
Chow’s grievance to Hong Kong’s ombudsman associated to 2 books on Chinese language Buddhism that members of the family tried to provide him in jail however which have been banned by the Correctional Companies Division (CSD).
Had the grievance kind been despatched by the right route following a safety verify, Principal Justice of the Peace Ivy Chui stated, she believed it might have gone easily from the jail to the ombudsman, an administration watchdog.
Chui described Chow’s try to bypass the safety verify as “reckless and silly”. She took into consideration Woo’s comparatively brief expertise as a solicitor and her clear legal document in handing down the high-quality.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution performed closed-circuit tv photographs of the go to, saying Chow “secretly” gave the grievance kind to Woo after a jail officer left the room.
“This case is simply the tip of the iceberg the place correctional workers impede the train of the rights of prisoners,” Chow wrote in a letter of mitigation.
A number of books he sought had been banned by the CSD for “ridiculous” causes over the previous three years, he added.
His cell was raided seven instances after he insisted on submitting a grievance, Chow stated, and he was punished within the final raid for having in his possession a Portuguese egg tart “with out permission”, though the dessert had been a part of a breakfast he hadn’t completed.
Chow was positioned in solitary confinement, advised to interact in sports activities and take showers alone, whereas close by inmates have been all moved away, he added.
“If the individuals in energy need the society to be known as … progressive, they have to take accountability, beginning with going through the voices of susceptible communities.”
Chow is certainly one of 14 individuals convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion in a landmark nationwide safety case in Might that drew worldwide criticism and will see him jailed for all times, however he awaits sentencing, with that case within the mitigation stage.
He and Woo, 31, have been convicted on the unauthorised doc cost in July, after having pleaded not responsible. Chow’s sentence is to be added to the opposite jail time he faces, whereas Woo was ordered to pay a high-quality of HK$1,800 ($231).
Chow’s defence lawyer, Jeffrey Tam, stated he would enchantment towards the conviction and sentence.
Chow is at the moment serving a jail time period of greater than 5 years after having being discovered responsible of occupying town’s legislature throughout mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Throughout a authorized go to on the Lai Chi Kok Reception Heart on Might 2 final yr, he gave Woo the “unauthorised” grievance kind on the centre of the case.
Chow’s grievance to Hong Kong’s ombudsman associated to 2 books on Chinese language Buddhism that members of the family tried to provide him in jail however which have been banned by the Correctional Companies Division (CSD).
Had the grievance kind been despatched by the right route following a safety verify, Principal Justice of the Peace Ivy Chui stated, she believed it might have gone easily from the jail to the ombudsman, an administration watchdog.
Chui described Chow’s try to bypass the safety verify as “reckless and silly”. She took into consideration Woo’s comparatively brief expertise as a solicitor and her clear legal document in handing down the high-quality.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution performed closed-circuit tv photographs of the go to, saying Chow “secretly” gave the grievance kind to Woo after a jail officer left the room.
“This case is simply the tip of the iceberg the place correctional workers impede the train of the rights of prisoners,” Chow wrote in a letter of mitigation.
A number of books he sought had been banned by the CSD for “ridiculous” causes over the previous three years, he added.
His cell was raided seven instances after he insisted on submitting a grievance, Chow stated, and he was punished within the final raid for having in his possession a Portuguese egg tart “with out permission”, though the dessert had been a part of a breakfast he hadn’t completed.
Chow was positioned in solitary confinement, advised to interact in sports activities and take showers alone, whereas close by inmates have been all moved away, he added.
“If the individuals in energy need the society to be known as … progressive, they have to take accountability, beginning with going through the voices of susceptible communities.”
