By Jessie Pang
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s High Court will start hearing on Thursday an appeal by prosecutors against the release on bail of 11 activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, in a case that saw the most sweeping use yet of the city’s national security law.
Foreign diplomats and rights groups are closely monitoring proceedings as concerns mount over the vanishing space for dissent in the former British colony, which has taken a swift authoritarian turn since the imposition of the law in June 2020.
A lower court granted 15 activists bail last Thursday following marathon hearings of 47 opposition figures, which stretched into the night for four consecutive days and saw some of the defendants falling ill and hospitalized.
Prosecutors appealed the bail decisions, however, preventing the activists’ immediate release. Four were released on Friday after prosecutors withdrew appeals. The 11 others are set to appear in court in three batches on Thursday, Saturday and Monday.
Of the 32 for whom bail was denied, about two dozen are appealing the decision, with hearings starting on Friday.
The 47 activists are accused of organising and participating in an unofficial, non-binding primary poll in July 2020 that authorities said was part of a “vicious plot” to “overthrow” the government.
The vote was aimed at selecting the strongest opposition candidates for a legislative council election that the government later postponed, citing the coronavirus.
In contrast with the global financial hub’s common law traditions, the new security law puts the onus on defendants to prove they will not pose a security threat if released on bail.
The detentions have been fiercely criticised by governments in the West, including in Britain and the United States.
Hong Kong’s Department of Justice has said no one should interfere with independent prosecutorial decisions, as it would undermine the rule of law.
Supporters of the security law, which punishes what it broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, say it is necessary to restore stability in Hong Kong after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Hong Kong laws restrict media coverage of the content of bail hearings.
(Reporting by Jessie Pang; Writing by Marius Zaharia. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
