Hong Kong court clears woman over 2019 laser pointers
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
A Hong Kong magistrate has acquitted Ami Chan of possessing an offensive weapon and possessing an item with intent to destroy or damage property over items found on her during the 2019 unrest. The court ruled that she was not in the vicinity of the protests when she was arrested in Fortress Hill and that the evidence did not show she was fleeing, attacking anyone, or preparing vandalism
Key Points
- Ami Chan was found not guilty on Thursday at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts of both charges tied to two laser pointers and three cans of spray paint
- Chan was arrested in Fortress Hill in September 2019, when she was 15, but was only charged this year after returning to Hong Kong from Australia
- The prosecution said police were dispersing crowds in Causeway Bay and saw people moving east toward Fortress Hill before Chan was stopped
- Magistrate Edward Wong said the day’s demonstrations were in Admiralty and Wan Chai, not Fortress Hill, where Chan was arrested
- Wong said Chan did not try to flee, attack anyone, vandalise property, or carry offensive items, and was instead just walking on the street
Why It Matters
The ruling narrows the link prosecutors can draw between possession of everyday items and participation in protest-related offences when the defendant is not shown to be near a demonstration. It also revisits a category of 2019-era cases in which laser pointers were treated as potential weapons during the unrest