Woman, 19, charged in ‘Hong Kong Parliament’ subversion case denied bail

A 19-year-old woman has been denied bail after appearing in court on a sedition charge for allegedly encouraging Hong Kong residents to vote on setting up an overseas-based group deemed subversive by authorities.

Lan Fei was denied bail on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak, who told her at West Kowloon Court: “I find that there are no sufficient grounds to believe that you will not continue to commit acts endangering national security.”

Lan has been charged with one count of “doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention”. The alleged offence occurred between March and May this year.

She is accused of encouraging residents to take part in voting to establish the overseas-based “Hong Kong Parliament” group, which local national security authorities previously identified as subversive.

The prosecution said Lan intended to bring “a Chinese citizen, Hong Kong permanent resident or a person in [Hong Kong] into hatred, contempt or disaffection against the fundamental system of the state established by the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China” as well as the “constitutional order, executive, legislative or judicial authority” of the city.

She was also accused of inciting or encouraging others to change the law or government via unlawful means and to disobey Hong Kong laws.