Hong Kong Court Rejects Appeal by Cardinal Zen and Fellow Activists


 Hong Kong Court Rejects Appeal by Cardinal Zen and Fellow Activists

Cardinal Joseph Zen, age 94, and four co-trustees of the defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund lost their High Court appeal against a 2022 conviction for failing to properly register the fund under Hong Kong’s Societies Ordinance.

UCA News reported that the three-judge panel, led by Chief Judge Jeremy Poon, upheld the lower court's guilty verdict, stating the fund functioned as an organized entity rather than just a financial trust. The appellants—including singer Denise Ho, former lawmaker Cyd Ho, barrister Margaret Ng, and scholar Hui Po-keung—plan to take their final appeal to the Court of Final Appeal.

Key Context and Background

  • The Fund: Established in June 2019, the group provided legal, medical, and financial support to protesters involved in Hong Kong's pro-democracy demonstrations.

  • The Ruling: Magistrates initially fined each trustee HK$4,000 (US$510) in November 2022. The High Court affirmed that the group managed public donations like a governing body, making it subject to police registration or exemption.

  • Civil Society Concerns: Defense counsel argued that enforcing colonial-era registration rules on informal groups threatens Hong Kong's broader civil society.

  • Global Backlash: The conviction sparked international condemnation from Western governments, civil rights groups, and the Catholic Church as a politically motivated crackdown.

Cardinal Zen, a long-time advocate for religious and political freedoms in China, emphasized that he does not view his prosecution as a fight for religious freedom, reflecting earlier statements that bearing hardship remains a normal aspect of faithful devotion.

Source https://www.ucanews.com/news/cardinal-zen-loses-hong-kong-court-appeal/115149

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