23-year-old Mainland law PhD student jailed for six months for attempted incitement; judge says operation was international and accepts no advocacy of violence
23歲法律博士內地生認企圖煽動 判囚6月 官指行動屬國際性、接納沒鼓吹暴力
A 23-year-old Mainland student pursuing a PhD in law at CUHK, who was accused of planning to display vertical banners in Causeway Bay this year on June 4 bearing images of the “June 4 massacre” and the “Pillar of Shame”, pleaded guilty on Monday to attempting to incite subversion. Lo Tak-chuen, a National Security Law-designated judge and Chief Magistrate, sentenced the defendant to six months’ imprisonment at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday (the 12th). In sentencing, Lo said Ko Chi-wut and Zhou Fengsuo had promoted the matter online and provided the vertical banner, and that the operation was “international” in nature. He said the banner’s content was “sharp”, and that its intended audience—people who resonated with the message and were like-minded—could easily have their emotions stirred. The defendant had not acted impulsively but had made a comprehensive plan, and committed the offence while on police bail. However, Lo accepted that the banner did not advocate violence or incite others to take further unlawful action. Its content centred on the June 4 incident, and the defendant had not added anything to it. The “Pillar of Shame” involved had also been publicly displayed for many years. Even if the banner had been displayed again, the potential risk of suddenly provoking others’ emotions would not have been particularly great.
23 歲就讀中大法律博士的內地生，被指打算於今年六四於銅鑼灣展示印有「六四屠殺」及「國殤之柱」圖像的直幡，周一承認企圖煽動罪。《國安法》指定法官、主任裁判官羅德泉周二（12 日）於西九龍裁判法院判被告監禁 6 個月。 羅判刑時指，高志活、周鋒鎖網上宣傳、提供直幡，行動屬「國際性」，而直幡內容具「尖銳性」，目標對象均對訊息內容有共鳴，是志同道合的人，他們容易被挑起情緒。被告並非衝動行事，有全盤計劃，於警方保釋期間犯案。 但羅接納，直幡沒有鼓吹暴力，沒有煽動他人作進一步非法行動。直幡內容圍繞六四事件，被告沒有加添內容，而涉案「國殤之柱」亦曾公開展示多年。即使再展示直幡，突然刺激他人情緒的潛在危機亦不太大。