Related
Translate
Previous entry: Ancient art of reiki gaining mainstream popularity
Next entry: Church custody case set for court
Get RNB via RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Guyana’s Jonestown suicide site gets plaque
- Gaddafi preaches Islam to Rome beauties
- Scientology practices ‘putting people at risk’
- Recession: Muslim schools in UK under threat of closure
- Australian senator tells Parliament of widespread criminal conduct within the Church of Scientology
- When a child dies, faith is no defense
- Muslim terrorists smuggle fatwas promoting Jihad out of secure UK prisons
- Techie Holy water and geeky bishops
- Israel Charges Extremist With Attempted Murder Of Messianic Family
- Scientology’s feet held to the fire in Australia: Struggle between a church and the state
Falun Gong demonstration was legal, lawyer argues in appeal
More articles on this topic: Falun GongHONG KONG (AP) — A defense lawyer challenged the convictions of 16 Falun Gong followers before a Hong Kong court Thursday, saying their protest outside Chinese government offices was legal because it didn’t cause undue obstruction.
“The obstruction in this case doesn’t come anywhere near the threshold where the demonstration becomes unreasonable,” lawyer Paul Harris told a panel of three judges Thursday.
Harris represents five of the 16 Falun Gong practitioners fined for allegedly obstructing a public place during a March 14, 2002, sit-in outside the Chinese government’s liaison office.
The followers — four Swiss citizens, a New Zealander and 11 from Hong Kong — were protesting China’s suppression of the meditation group.
Banned in the mainland as an “evil cult,” Falun Gong remains legal in this former British colony, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.
Under an arrangement that allows the territory considerable autonomy, Hong Kong enjoys civil liberties typically denied in the mainland.
But Falun Gong members say the current legal case — the first-ever criminal case brought against followers here — shows the crackdown has extended to Hong Kong.
Three of the Hong Kong protesters were also convicted of assaulting police in a scuffle that broke out when officers removed them.
Nine of the protesters, including the New Zealander, were convicted of obstructing police. They also are appealing that charge.
The three-day appeal hearing began Wednesday.
Harris also argued Thursday that police did not detail who was obstructed and how they were blocked.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Previous entry: Ancient art of reiki gaining mainstream popularity Next entry: Church custody case set for court
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
