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Lee Cheuk-yan gets three weeks in prison over balloon flying case
Jailed pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-yan was on Thursday sentenced to three-week imprisonment and fined HK$3,500 for obstructing a cop and flying a balloon tied to a banner that said “Free all Political Prisoners” on New Year's Day in 2021.
Lee, 65, was the former chairman of the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. He is now serving a 20-month jail term for organizing and taking part in multiple unlawful and unauthorized assemblies including the June 4 vigil in 2020.
He earlier pleaded not guilty to flying a balloon exceeding two meters in a controlled airspace and obstructing a public officer on Legislative Council Road in Admiralty on January 1, 2021.
In Eastern Magistrates' Courts on Thursday, magistrate Jacky Ip Kai-leung convicted Lee of both charges. Ip handed Lee a HK$3,500 fine for the balloon charge and sentenced him to three-week imprisonment for obstructing the cop.
One week of the new jail term will run concurrently with the 20-month jail term Lee is now serving, meaning Lee will see his current term extended by two more weeks.
Former district councilor Bull Tsang Kin-shing had earlier pleaded guilty to the balloon charge and was fined HK$2,500.
The prosecution said in the closing statement that as soon as the balloon left the ground, it could be counted as flying and was already an aviation violation even Lee was holding the thread. The prosecution also argued that the thread and the banner tied to the balloon should be excluded under such circumstance.
The defense on the other hand refuted that the balloon was not flying as Lee was still holding the thread. The defense agreed that Lee did spread out his arms while facing the cop, but added Lee was only trying to reason with the cop.
He earlier pleaded not guilty to flying a balloon exceeding two meters in a controlled airspace and obstructing a public officer on Legislative Council Road in Admiralty on January 1, 2021.
In Eastern Magistrates' Courts on Thursday, magistrate Jacky Ip Kai-leung convicted Lee of both charges. Ip handed Lee a HK$3,500 fine for the balloon charge and sentenced him to three-week imprisonment for obstructing the cop.
One week of the new jail term will run concurrently with the 20-month jail term Lee is now serving, meaning Lee will see his current term extended by two more weeks.
Former district councilor Bull Tsang Kin-shing had earlier pleaded guilty to the balloon charge and was fined HK$2,500.
The prosecution said in the closing statement that as soon as the balloon left the ground, it could be counted as flying and was already an aviation violation even Lee was holding the thread. The prosecution also argued that the thread and the banner tied to the balloon should be excluded under such circumstance.
The defense on the other hand refuted that the balloon was not flying as Lee was still holding the thread. The defense agreed that Lee did spread out his arms while facing the cop, but added Lee was only trying to reason with the cop.
