Veteran activist Koo Sze-yiu denied bail for a third time over plan to protest ‘unfair’ District Council race
Hong Kong Free Press
Veteran activist Koo Sze-yiu has been denied bail for a third time over a planned protest against the overhauled District Council elections.
Koo, 77, appeared before Chief Magistrate Victor So at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Monday morning for a bail review hearing, wearing a black jacket over a red t-shirt.
As he walked into the dock, Koo greeted members of the public gallery with a traditional Chinese gesture.
The activist has been on remand since December 8, when he was arrested by national security police for attempting or preparing to do an act with seditious intent.
| 💡Under court reporting restrictions on bail proceedings, written and broadcast reports are limited to only include the result of a bail application, the name of the person applying for bail and their representation, and the offence concerned. |
Sedition is not covered by the Beijing-imposed national security law, which targets secession, subversion, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts and mandates up to life imprisonment.
Those convicted under the sedition law – last amended in the 1970s when Hong Kong was still a British colony – face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
The activist was denied bail once when he first appeared in court early this month, and again last week at a bail review hearing.
The hearing has been adjourned to January 10.
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