• About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
  • Login
The Vaultz News
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • General News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Opinions
  • Economics
    • Economy
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Insurance
      • Pension
    • Securities/Markets
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Vaultz Business
    • Extractives/Energy
    • Real Estate
  • World
    • Africa
    • America
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
    • Asia
    • Around the Globe
  • Innovation
    • Technology
    • Wheels
  • Entertainment
  • 20MOBPL2DNew
  • Jobs & Scholarships
    • Job Vacancies
    • Scholarships
No Result
View All Result
The Vaultz News
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • General News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Opinions
  • Economics
    • Economy
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Insurance
      • Pension
    • Securities/Markets
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Vaultz Business
    • Extractives/Energy
    • Real Estate
  • World
    • Africa
    • America
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
    • Asia
    • Around the Globe
  • Innovation
    • Technology
    • Wheels
  • Entertainment
  • 20MOBPL2DNew
  • Jobs & Scholarships
    • Job Vacancies
    • Scholarships
No Result
View All Result
The Vaultz News
No Result
View All Result

Hong Kong Court Convicts 90-Year-Old Cardinal Over Pro-Democracy Protest Fund

November 25, 2022
Comfort Ampomaaby Comfort Ampomaa
in Asia
0
Hong Kong Court Convicts 90-Year-Old Cardinal Over Pro-Democracy Protest Fund

Cardinal Joseph Zen

Hong Kong court has convicted Cardinal Joseph Zen and five others over their involvement in the creation of a pro-democracy protest fund.

The 90-year-old Catholic cardinal and five others were fined after being found guilty on Friday, November 25, 2022 of failing to register a now-defunct fund that aimed to help people arrested in the widespread protests three years ago.

Cardinal Joseph Zen and five others, including the Cantopop singer Denise Ho, breached the Societies Ordinance by failing to register the now-defunct “612 Humanitarian Relief Fund” that was partly used to pay protesters’ legal and medical fees.

RelatedPosts

Hezbollah Leader Rejects Calls For Disarmament

Turkey Slams Israel’s Strike On Nasser Hospital As Attack On Press Freedom

Yunus Calls For Voluntary Return Of Rohingya Refugees To Myanmar

Cardinal Joseph Zen, a retired bishop and a vocal democracy advocate of the city, arrived at court in a black outfit and used a walking stick.

Zen was first arrested in May on suspicion of conspiring with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed National Security Law.

His arrest sent shockwaves through the Catholic community, although the Vatican only stated it was monitoring the development of the situation closely.

While Zen and other activists at the trial have not yet been charged with national security-related charges, they were charged with failing to properly register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund.

The fund helped to pay medical and legal fees for arrested protesters beginning in 2019. It ceased operations in October 2021.

Zen, along with singer Denise Ho, scholar Hui Po Keung, former pro-democracy lawmakers Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho, were trustees of the fund.

They were each fined 4,000 Hong Kong dollars ($512). A sixth defendant, Sze Ching-wee who was the fund’s secretary was fined HK$2500 ($320).

From the onset, all of them had been charged under the controversial China-backed national security law for colluding with foreign forces which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Those charges were dropped and they instead faced a lesser charge under the Societies Ordinance, a century-old colonial-era law punishable with fines.

The Societies Ordinance requires local organizations to register or apply for an exemption within a month of their establishment. Those who failed to do so face a fine of up to HK$10,000 ($1,273), with no jail time, upon first conviction.

The court heard in September that the legal fund raised the equivalent of $34.4 million through 100,000 deposits.

In addition to providing financial aid to protesters, the fund was also used to sponsor pro-democracy rallies, such as paying for audio equipment used in 2019 during street protests to resist China’s dominance.

Handing down the verdict, Principal Magistrate Ada Yim ruled that the fund is considered an organization that is obliged to register as it was not purely for charity purposes.

Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Movement Crippled By The National Security Law

The National Security Law has crippled Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement since its enactment in 2020, with many activists being arrested or jailed in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

The law was imposed by China over Hong Kong in June 2020 in a bid to control protests. Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to China’s rule in 1997.

Since the imposition of the law, most of the city’s prominent pro-democracy figures have either been arrested or gone into exile, while several independent media outlets and non-government organizations have been jeopardized.

The impact of the law has also damaged faith in the future of the international financial hub, with a growing number of young professionals responding to the shrinking freedoms by emigrating overseas.

The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied criticism that the law which criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces has stifled freedoms.

Instead, the government claimed that it has restored order in the city after the 2019 protest movement.

READ ALSO: Government’s decision to freeze public employment is not new- Augustin Gammey

Tags: courtdemocracyHong Kongprotestvatican
Please login to join discussion
Previous Post

I’m Ready Now To Collaborate With Sarkodie – Nasty C

Next Post

Twitter To Offer Amnesty To Suspended Accounts

[mc4wp_form id="1264"]

Related Posts

Helicopter crash finding raises concern
General News

Civilian-Led Helicopter Crash Investigation Gains Support

August 26, 2025
Gold Prices Rise on Powell’s Rate-Cut Signal 
Extractives/Energy

Gov’t Pledges Gold Reforms Ahead of Crucial Anti-Money Laundering Assessment  

August 26, 2025
Taylor Swift Announces New Album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
Entertainment

Taylor Swift Shows Endless Love for Bad Bunny

August 25, 2025
Galamsey Fight Demands Policy Beyond Law Enforcement
General News

Galamsey Fight Demands Policy Beyond Law Enforcement

August 25, 2025
Hezbollah Deputy Asserts Group’s Military Capability After Israeli Strikes
Asia

Hezbollah Leader Rejects Calls For Disarmament

August 25, 2025
Botswana Declares Health Emergency Amid Drug Shortages
Africa

Botswana Declares Health Emergency Amid Drug Shortages

August 25, 2025
Helicopter crash finding raises concern
General News

Civilian-Led Helicopter Crash Investigation Gains Support

by Lilian AhedorAugust 26, 2025
Gold Prices Rise on Powell’s Rate-Cut Signal 
Extractives/Energy

Gov’t Pledges Gold Reforms Ahead of Crucial Anti-Money Laundering Assessment  

by Prince AgyapongAugust 26, 2025
Taylor Swift Announces New Album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
Entertainment

Taylor Swift Shows Endless Love for Bad Bunny

by Esther Korantemaa OffeiAugust 25, 2025
Galamsey Fight Demands Policy Beyond Law Enforcement
General News

Galamsey Fight Demands Policy Beyond Law Enforcement

by Silas Kafui AssemAugust 25, 2025
Hezbollah Deputy Asserts Group’s Military Capability After Israeli Strikes
Asia

Hezbollah Leader Rejects Calls For Disarmament

by Comfort AmpomaaAugust 25, 2025
Botswana Declares Health Emergency Amid Drug Shortages
Africa

Botswana Declares Health Emergency Amid Drug Shortages

by Lawrence AnkutseAugust 25, 2025
Helicopter crash finding raises concern
Gold Prices Rise on Powell’s Rate-Cut Signal 
Taylor Swift Announces New Album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
Galamsey Fight Demands Policy Beyond Law Enforcement
Hezbollah Deputy Asserts Group’s Military Capability After Israeli Strikes
Botswana Declares Health Emergency Amid Drug Shortages
[/vc_row_inner]

Recent News

  • Civilian-Led Helicopter Crash Investigation Gains Support
  • Gov’t Pledges Gold Reforms Ahead of Crucial Anti-Money Laundering Assessment  
  • Taylor Swift Shows Endless Love for Bad Bunny
  • Galamsey Fight Demands Policy Beyond Law Enforcement
  • Hezbollah Leader Rejects Calls For Disarmament
The Vaultz News

Copyright © 2021 The Vaultz News. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • General News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Opinions
  • Economics
    • Economy
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Insurance
      • Pension
    • Securities/Markets
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Vaultz Business
    • Extractives/Energy
    • Real Estate
  • World
    • Africa
    • America
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
    • Asia
    • Around the Globe
  • Innovation
    • Technology
    • Wheels
  • Entertainment
  • 20MOBPL2D
  • Jobs & Scholarships
    • Job Vacancies
    • Scholarships

Copyright © 2021 The Vaultz News. All rights reserved.