Hong Kong protests: China officially denounces activists trying to flee by boat to Taiwan

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The prosecution took their cases one step closer to court, although no date has been set for the start of their hearings.

A court in the southern city of Shenzhen, where the 12 were detained, said in a statement on Wednesday that two members of the group had been charged with organizing illegal border crossings, while eight had been charged with illegal border crossings. The remaining two, both minors, will be subjected to a closed-door hearing and “decisions will be made in accordance with the law,” the statement said.

Under China’s criminal law, those convicted of illegally crossing the border can receive two to seven years in prison – and in severe cases, life imprisonment. The offense of illegally crossing the border can lead to a maximum of one year in prison. The Chinese judicial system has a conviction rate of about 99%, according to legal observers.

The 12 activists – most of whom are on bail or facing charges in Hong Kong over last year’s anti-government protests – boarded a motor boat in the small fishing village of Po Toi O on August 23, hoping to follow others who fled to the self-governing island of Taiwan, about 700 kilometers away.

Shortly after crossing the maritime border between Hong Kong and mainland China, their boat was stopped by a coastguard ship.

They have been detained in mainland China since then, while their families desperately lobbied for their return, saying the 12 were denied access to lawyers and were abused while in Chinese custody.

Continental authorities said they would “protect the legitimate rights of suspects in accordance with the law” and provided them with government-appointed lawyers.

Following the court’s announcement on Wednesday, family members of the 12 Hong Kongers issued their own statement, saying they wanted to attend court hearings. But they are worried that they will not be able to arrive on time when the trial data are announced due to the 14-day quarantine requirement to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

In the statement, family members also discussed the arrangement of government-appointed lawyers.

Hong Kong government accused of collaborating with China to monitor and catch fugitives fleeing to Taiwan

“Families cannot trust ‘government-appointed lawyers’ to protect the interests of the twelve during the trial, and they fear that ‘government-appointed lawyers’ will follow government orders and act against the interests of the twelve,” the statement said.

Chinese courts – along with prosecutors and police – are overseen by the powerful Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party and its local subsidiaries.

Fears about China’s judicial system and its potential to reach Hong Kong sparked protests last year that led to months of anti-government unrest in the semi-autonomous city.

This year, as protests began to rise again following a forced coronavirus break, the Chinese government imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, criminalizing sedition, secession and subversion.

The law, which the government says is needed to restore order, has prompted several prominent activists to flee across the ocean.

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