HKFP report
The democrats stand accused of taking part in a conspiracy to commit subversion by organising and participating in an unofficial legislative primary election held in July 2020.
Dozens of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures facing national security charges will spend several more months in custody, after a proceeding to commit the case to a higher court was adjourned to late November.
The 47 defendants, most of whom have been detained for close to seven months, returned to West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday. It is the second time the group appeared at a committal hearing, where the magistrate was set to formally deal with the prosecution’s request to transfer the “subversion” case to the High Court.
The democrats stand accused of taking part in a conspiracy to commit subversion by organising and participating in an unofficial legislative primary election held in July 2020. So far, only 14 of the 47 defendants have been released on bail awaiting trial.
Some of the 14 defendants on bail arrived in the courthouse amid pouring rain, as the Hong Kong Observatory issued a thunderstorm warning on Thursday morning. Pro-democracy activist Alexandra “Grandma” Wong, who often protested outside court, chanted slogans and waved a union jack under the roof of the courthouse briefly before she was stopped by court staff.
