Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong arrested for 2019 'unlawful assembly'

Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was arrested on Thursday for "unlawful assembly" related to a 2019 protest against a government ban on face masks - the latest in a series of high-profile arrests as the authorities seek to crack down on the Chinese-ruled city’s pro-democracy movement.

Mr Wong has since been released, with a trial date set for September 30. According to Mr Wong's Twitter, he faces the maximum penalty for both charges - five years for unlawful assembly and one year for wearing a mask.

"Today’s arrest is a notorious abuse to the criminal justice system by placing charges ruled unconstitutional earlier. However, I choose not to surrender," he tweeted.

Supporters of Mr Wong, 23, first announced via his Twitter account that he was also being held for violating the "draconian anti-mask law", which was introduced last October after Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, invoked a colonial-era emergency law.

"The arrest is related to participating in an unauthorised assembly on 5 Oct last year. He is told to have violated the draconian anti-mask law as well," Mr Wong's official Twitter account said. The protest in question took place at the height of the pro-democracy unrest which roiled the city last year.

The mask ban has since been ruled unconstitutional, and the government declared in July that face masks would be made compulsory in public as the densely populated global financial hub grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to reporters after being released from custody, Mr Wong said this was the third time the authorities had slapped a case against him over his pro-democracy activities since he was released from a one-month jail stint last June for obstructing the clearance of a 2014 mass protest.

He said he was being targeted by Beijing’s campaign to create a “chilling effect” on activists calling for democratic governance and greater civil rights in the former British colony.

“[The authorities) can prosecute us, they can arrest us, they can lock us up in prison, but they can’t censor our commitment to continue to fight for freedom,” he said.

Mr Wong faces a court hearing on September 30. He told the Telegraph that it was “not a coincidence” that the authorities had picked the day before Chinese National Day.

“We have no hope in the judicial system in Hong Kong, because it has been weaponised by the authorities to arrest dissidents,” he said.

"During the outbreak of Covid-19, to arrest somebody because of wearing a mask last year is really ironic."

Johnny Patterson, Director of London-based advocacy group Hong Kong Watch said Mr Wong’s arrest was the “latest example of flagrant political prosecution” in the Chinese-controlled city.

"Beijing, and their counterparts in the Hong Kong government, are waging a campaign of lawfare, abusing the courts to silence their political opponents and create an atmosphere of self-censorship. Wong's participation in peaceful demonstrations is no crime."

Mr Wong’s latest arrest adds to several unlawful assembly charges or suspected offences he and other activists are facing related to last year’s anti-government protests, which prompted Beijing to impose a sweeping national security law on June 30.

The new law punishes anything China considers as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with up to life in prison.

Its introduction, which bypassed scrutiny by the local legislature, created an international outcry for bulldozing a binding deal between the UK and Beijing when Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 to guarantee the city’s way of life until 2047.

It has since been used to target dissidents and crush street protests.

Mr Wong’s long-time colleague, Agnes Chow, and two other activists were among 10 people police arrested in August on suspicion of violating the new law. Last month, media tycoon Jimmy Lai was also detained on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces.

Mr Wong was arrested on Thursday when he reported to a police station concerning another case against him, for which he is currently on trial.

Veteran activist Koo Sze-yiu of the League of Social Democrats was also arrested on suspicion of participating in the same demonstrations as Mr Wong, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

Hong Kong’s social media platforms lit up immediately with reaction to the arrests, with some speculating that the move may have been an intimidation tactic to deter people from joining a planned protest on October 1, China’s National Day.

“Such a high-profile arrest is a curtain-raiser for next week’s protest,” said one anonymous user.

Many posts were indignant. “One day Joshua Wong would be even arrested for breathing,” said one.

“If the #HongKong government & #HongKongPolice think they can stop the people from resisting the tyranny by arresting Joshua Wong, they're a fool for doing this,” added another.