Trio jailed for HK attack on journalist

A Hong Kong district judge on Friday sentenced three people to jail for illegally detaining and assaulting Global Times reporter Fu Guohao at Hong Kong International Airport in 2019.

The three were convicted on Wednesday on charges stemming from the assault. Lai Yun-long, 20, Amy Pat Wai-fan, 25 and Ho Ka-lok, 30, were all convicted of rioting and assault resulting in bodily harm. Pat was found guilty of the additional crime of false imprisonment.

Ho was sentenced to five years, six months in jail, Lai five years, three months and Pat four years, three months.

The incident happened late on Aug 13 and early on Aug 14, 2019, during an unlawful assembly in the airport's departure hall amid the city's social unrest that started in June that year.

Fu, who was wearing a yellow vest, as were other journalists at the scene, was surrounded by a group of masked, black-clad protesters who said they doubted his identity. Fu was tied up, beaten and mistreated by protesters for around 50 minutes. The illegal sit-in later turned into a clash between protesters and Hong Kong police.

In the judgment, District Judge Clement Lee Hing-nin pointed out that the offenses were "provocative, insulting and aggressive", and seriously disrupted societal law and order.

The judge said the rioting had an extensive impact on society as it brought disgrace on the people of Hong Kong and tainted the city's image as a place where views could be expressed peacefully.

Adding that as Hong Kong International Airport is a window connecting the city and the outside world, Lee said the incident brought inconvenience and a sense of fear to passengers and made the world doubt whether Hong Kong was safe.

Ho earlier pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a public place as police found a retractable baton, knife and laser pointer in his car when he was detained on Aug 25, 2019.

Lai had earlier pled guilty to charges of common assault and obstructing a public officer when he hindered paramedics from aiding Fu and assaulted the journalist even as Fu was being carried to an ambulance.

"The court must express serious condemnation over protesters who obstructed paramedics from providing aid to Fu," Lee said, adding that this is the reason why the case was more serious than other street riots.

On the same day, Hong Kong police national security unit arrested two males suspected of subverting State power by organizing an unofficial vote.

The vote, held in July 2020, was an attempt by the opposition camp to gain a majority in the city's legislature so that they could veto the government's budget and paralyze the city's operations.

According to local media, the pair were Hong Kong independence activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and opposition activist Tam Tak-chi.