Hong Kong court upholds convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen and others over protester relief fund
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court on Thursday dismissed appeals brought by a 94-year-old Roman Catholic cardinal and four others over their convictions for failing to register a now-defunct fund that aimed to help people arrested during…
A Hong Kong court has upheld convictions against retired Catholic cardinal Joseph Zen and four others for failing to register a defunct charity that supported arrested protesters during 2019 anti-government demonstrations. The five were found guilty in 2022 for breaching the Societies Ordinance, which mandates local organizations to register or apply for an exemption within a month of their inception.
This marks the first time such convictions have been issued in Hong Kong. Observers consider the case a significant test of the city's freedom of association, particularly as political conditions have rapidly evolved since the 2019 protests. Despite initial arrest on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces under Beijing's national security law, Zen and the other defendants were never charged under that statute.
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