Hong Kong rioter Zhong Hanlin convicted of insulting the national flag
Haiwai.com, December 11th. According to a report by Hong Kong East.com, Zhong Hanlin, the former convener of the "Hong Kong Independence" organization "Student Dongyuan", was accused of torturing a five-star red flag in the demonstration area of the Hong Kong Legislative Council in May 2019. Denying the two crimes of insulting the national flag and illegal assembly, he was convicted on the 11th in the Eastern District Court.
Magistrate Huang Yayin pointed out that the footage showed that the defendant had taken the initiative to grab a five-star red flag, broke the flagpole, and threw the flag in the air, which was an intentional insult.
The court adjourned the case until the sentence on December 29. During the period, it will obtain reports from the training center, rehabilitation and reeducation center, and the defendant must continue to be remanded.
The charge is that the defendant Zhong Hanlin publicly and deliberately defiled or insulted the national flag without legal excuse in the designated demonstration area of the Legislative Council Complex on May 14, 2019; and participated in an illegal assembly at the same place.
According to earlier reports by Hong Kong media, on October 27 this year, Zhong Hanlin was arrested by the Hong Kong Police National Security Office.
He was suspected of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law by publishing content on inciting others to split the country on online social platforms from August to October this year.
Zhong Hanlin was charged with four crimes including splitting the country, money laundering, and conspiracy to publish seditious publications.
The prosecution applied for adjournment of the case. Zhong Hanlin did not need to respond for the time being, but his application for bail was rejected and the designated judge ordered him to be remanded until January 7 next year.
(Overseas Net Yang Jia)