Seven Hong Kong police officers were jailed for two years today for what the judge described as a ‘vicious’ attack on a protester in 2014.
The protester was attacked during a pro-democracy rally on October 14, 2014 which was calling for the ability to vote in the elections for Hong Kong’s future leaders.
Footage of police handcuffing and beating Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, a member of the Civic Party was widely shared online.
Seven officers were convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm to Ken Tsang and were handed a sentence of two years.
A more serious charge of grievous bodily harm with intent was acquitted.
One officer stamped on 41-year-old Tsang and hit him with a baton while four other officers kicked him. Two officers did not take part in the beating but stood by and watched.
At the time, photographs showing Tsang with bruising on his face and body, released by democracy activists, sparked anger and condemnation. Human rights group Amnesty International said the police involved in what appeared to be a ‘vicious attack against a detained man’ should face justice.
One of the officers involved in kicking Tsang was also found guilty of common assault for slapping him in the face twice after he was taken to a police station.
In court, judge David Dufton said that police officers who break the law ‘have to be made an example of.’
Social worker Tsang was not in court on Friday to hear the sentence but told a reporter from AFP: ‘I hope the government and the police will do something, think about what they have done and say sorry to Hong Kong citizens.’
Police try to control the situation as protesters holding umbrellas clashFor 79 days, pro-democracy protesters rallied on the streets of Hong Kong for universal suffrage. There are 70 seats on Hong Kong’s Legislative Council which passes laws however only 35 seats are directly elected by the population. The remaining seats are elected by people from particular professions or trades – just 6 percent of the population. Originally a civil disobedience movement led by Occupy Central, the movement began on September 28, 2014 as protesters blocked roads in the city’s financial and political centre. A protester wears goggles and a material over his face during the umbrella movementMany were young people hoping for a brighter future for the special administrative region while some older citizens had turned out to protest against increasing control from Beijing. Protesters parked their tents in three neighbourhoods demanding that they would not leave until Hong Kong was given universal suffrage. However as time went on, the protests became more violent as pro-democracy and pro-Beijing protesters clashed with each other and police. A single image of a protester holding an umbrella in the middle of a mist of tear gas became the movement’s symbol and the protests came to be known as the umbrella movement. On December 11, 2014 the Occupy sites were cleared by police and the movement came to an end.
Police have been criticised for their treatment of protesters during the Occupy movement.
However in court, the defense was that officers had been under intense pressure during the protests, which they said had dented morale with a number of police injured.
Both pro-police and pro-democracy supporters gathered outside the court. The pro-police demonstrators said that they would march in protest on Saturday.
Tsang appeared in court last year and was found guilty of assaulting and resisting officers on the same night the beating took place. He had splashed liquid on police. He was handed a five-week sentence and has said that he will appeal the ruling.
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