Hong Kong Court Upholds Convictions of Cardinal Zen, Four Others

A Hong Kong court has dismissed the appeals of Cardinal Joseph Zen and four other individuals, upholding their 2022 convictions for failing to register a humanitarian fund that assisted people arrested during the 2019 anti-government protests. The ruling was delivered on Thursday.

The 94-year-old retired Roman Catholic bishop, a prominent democracy advocate, served as a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. The fund, which provided medical and legal support to detained protesters, ceased operations in October 2021. The other appellants were singer Denise Ho, scholar Hui Po Keung, and former pro-democracy legislators Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho.

All five were fined HK$4,000 (about $512) each in 2022 for breaching the Societies Ordinance, which mandates that local groups register or seek an exemption within a month of formation. The convictions were the first of their kind under the law.

The case has drawn attention as a test of freedom of association in the city, which has undergone significant political transformation since the 2019 unrest. The protests began over a now-withdrawn extradition bill and escalated into months of widespread demonstrations.

The defendants were initially arrested in 2022 on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, though they were not ultimately charged under it. Zen's arrest at the time caused considerable concern within the Catholic community.

Following his conviction, Zen stated that his case should not be viewed as connected to religious freedoms in the city. The national security law, enacted in 2020, has severely curtailed Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, with many activists imprisoned under its provisions. Authorities in both Beijing and Hong Kong maintain that the law is essential for ensuring the city's stability.