Hong Kong court upholds convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen, trustees of 2019 protester relief fund

A Hong Kong court has upheld the convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen and four other pro-democracy figures over failing to properly register their now-defunct relief fund that supported protesters during the 2019 unrest. The Court of Appeal dismissed their appeal, ruling that the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was indeed a society and required registration.

The five, including Cardinal Zen, scholar Hui Po-keung, barrister Margaret Ng, former lawmaker Cyd Ho, and singer-activist Denise Ho, launched the appeal, arguing that the ruling would infringe upon the freedom of association. They were fined HK$4,000 each in November 2022 for not registering the fund as a society under Hong Kong's Societies Ordinance. The case highlights the impact of the Societies Ordinance on civil society groups in Hong Kong.