On November 1, Lai Chi-ying, the leader of the anti-China riots in Hong Kong who was serving a sentence at Stanley Prison in Hong Kong, together with a number of key members of the "Branch Association" of the outlawed Hong Kong riot organization, and a total of eight people, were prosecuted in the Hong Kong District Court for a case involving an illegal assembly in June 2020, and was tried by Judge Hu Yawen, with an estimated trial period of 10 days. Nandu reporter learned that the 8 defendants did not admit guilt before, on the day of the trial, Li Zhuoren, Cai Yaochang, Liang Yaozhong, Liang Jinwei and Hu Zhiwei 5 people instead confessed guilt, Li Zhiying, Zou Xingtong and He Guilan 3 still refused to admit guilt.
Nandu previously reported that there were 26 defendants in the case, including Lai Chi-ying, the leader of the chaos in Hong Kong, Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the "branch federation", Ho Chun Yan, Zou Xingtong, Choi Yiu Cheung, vice chairmen, and a number of former LegIslaters. In addition to Lai Chi-ying, the remaining 25 were charged with knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly; 13 others, including Li Zhuoren, Ho Chun-yan and Zou Xingtong, were also charged with illegally inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly; and Li Zhuoren was charged with one more count of holding an unauthorized assembly.
It is reported that in addition to the eight defendants who appeared in court on November 1, 2 other defendants in the case have absconded overseas, and the remaining 16 have earlier pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 4 to 10 months in prison. Among them, Ho Chun Yan, Chen Haohuan, He Xiulan, Leung Kwok Hung and Yang Sen have been sentenced for other charges earlier, and the current total sentences range from 14 to 22 months respectively.
Prior to the trial on 1 November, Li Zhuoren, Choi Yiu-chang, Leung Yiu-chung and Leung Kam-wai, who had previously refused to admit guilt, all pleaded guilty to one count of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly, four of whom, together with Hu Zhiwei, pleaded guilty to knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly, and Li Cheuk-jin pleaded guilty to holding an unauthorized assembly. Lai Zhiying, Zou Xingtong and He Guilan still did not admit guilt.
It is understood that Lai Chi Ying has previously been sentenced to 20 months in prison for three illegal assemblies, several crimes and punishment, and is currently serving a sentence in Stanley Prison in Hong Kong. In addition, there are still cases of suspected violations of Hong Kong's national security law, and some cases have been scheduled until March 2022.
Written by: Nandu trainee reporter Weng Anqi