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Hong Kong Court of Appeal Upholds Convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen and Four Trustees for Failing to Register Humanitarian Fund

A Hong Kong court upheld the convictions of Cardinal Joseph Zen and four other trustees for failing to register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund under the Societies Ordinance. The five defendants—Cardinal Joseph Zen, Denise Ho, Hui Po Keung, and Margaret Ng, along with Cyd Ho—were each fined 4,000 Hong Kong dollars for the administrative violation. The fund was established to provide medical, legal, and financial assistance to those involved in the 2019 anti-government protests. Judges ruled that the fund was intended as a vehicle to collect and apply public donations for the protesters, and that the organization's management constituted a governing body. The court rejected the argument that the fund was not a society, stating that the registration requirements did not impose an unacceptably harsh burden on the freedom of association. While the defendants were originally arrested under the National Security Law for alleged foreign collusion, they were not charged under that law. Cardinal Joseph Zen noted that the case is a civil matter and not related to religious freedom. Margaret Ng stated that the defendants will appeal to the city's top court to clarify what constitutes a society.

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