Hong Kong finds 90-year-old cardinal guilty over pro-democracy protest fund - CNN

Hong Kong CNN  — 

A 90-year-old erstwhile bishop and outspoken professional of China’s ruling Communist Party was recovered blameworthy Friday connected a complaint relating to his relation successful a alleviation money for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests successful 2019.

Cardinal Joseph Zen and 5 others, including the Cantopop vocalist Denise Ho, contravened the Societies Ordinance by failing to registry the now-defunct “612 Humanitarian Relief Fund” that was partially utilized to wage protesters’ ineligible and aesculapian fees, the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts ruled.

The silver-haired cardinal, who appeared successful tribunal with a walking stick, and his co-defendants had each denied the charge.

The lawsuit is considered a marker of governmental state successful Hong Kong during an ongoing crackdown connected the pro-democracy movement, and comes astatine a delicate clip for the Vatican, which is preparing to renew a arguable woody with Beijing implicit the assignment of bishops successful China.

Outside the court, Zen told reporters that helium hoped radical wouldn’t nexus his condemnation to spiritual freedom.

“I saw galore radical overseas are acrophobic astir a cardinal being arrested. It is not related to spiritual freedom. I americium portion of the fund. (Hong Kong) has not seen harm (to) its spiritual freedom,” Zen said.

Zen and 4 different trustees of the money – vocalist Ho, barrister Margaret Ng, student Hui Po Keung, and person Cyd Ho – were sentenced to fines of HK$4,000 ($510) each.

A sixth defendant, Sze Ching-wee, who was the fund’s secretary, was fined HK$2,500 ($320).

All had initially been charged nether the arguable Beijing-backed nationalist information instrumentality for colluding with overseas forces, which carries a maximum punishment of beingness imprisonment. Those charges were dropped and they alternatively faced a lesser complaint nether the Societies Ordinance, a century-old colonial-era instrumentality punishable with fines of up to HK$10,000 ($1,274) but not jailhouse clip for first-time offenders.

The tribunal heard successful September that the ineligible money raised the equivalent of $34.4 cardinal done 100,000 deposits.

In summation to providing fiscal assistance to protesters, the money was besides utilized to sponsor pro-democracy rallies, specified arsenic paying for audio instrumentality used in 2019 during thoroughfare protests to defy Beijing’s tightening grip.

Although Zen and the different 5 defendants were spared from being charged nether the nationalist information law, the authorities imposed by Beijing implicit Hong Kong successful June 2020 successful a bid to quell the protests has repeatedly been utilized to curb dissent.

Since the imposition of the law, astir of the city’s salient pro-democracy figures person either been arrested oregon gone into exile, portion respective autarkic media outlets and non-government organizations person been shuttered.

The Hong Kong authorities has repeatedly denied disapproval that the instrumentality – which criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with overseas forces – has stifled freedoms, claiming alternatively it has restored bid successful the metropolis aft the 2019 protestation movement.

Hong Kong’s prosecution of 1 of Asia’s astir elder clergyman has formed the narration betwixt Beijing and the Holy See into crisp focus. CNN has contacted the Vatican connected Thursday for remark connected Zen’s lawsuit but has not received a response.

Zen has powerfully opposed a arguable statement struck successful 2018 betwixt the Vatican and China implicit the assignment of bishops. Previously some sides had demanded the last accidental connected bishop appointments successful mainland China, wherever spiritual activities are heavy monitored and sometimes banned.

Born to Catholic parents successful Shanghai successful 1932, Zen fled to Hong Kong with his household to flight looming Communist regularisation arsenic a teenager. He was ordained arsenic a clergyman successful 1961 and made Bishop of Hong Kong successful 2002, earlier retiring successful 2009.

Known arsenic the “conscience of Hong Kong” among his supporters, Zen has agelong been a salient advocator for democracy, quality rights and spiritual freedom. He has been connected the beforehand lines of immoderate of the city’s astir important protests, from the wide rally against nationalist information authorities successful 2003 to the “Umbrella Movement” demanding cosmopolitan suffrage successful 2014.