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Key Occupy Central activists including Joshua Wong in Hong Kong court bid to have their trial scrapped

The trial relates to police obstruction charges dating back to a protest in June last year - before Occupy Central - outside the central government’s liaison office in Western District. Wong, 18, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, 22,  Albert Chan Wai-yip, 60 and Raphael Wong Ho-ming, 26, are to apply for the charges to be stayed. 

 

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The four defendants (from left) Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Raphael Wong and Albert Chan outside court before the hearing. Photo: Felix Wong

Four democracy activists who played a central role in Hong Kong’s Occupy protests - including the movement’s poster boy Scholarism convenor Joshua Wong Chi-fung - are to make a bid to have their trial on police obstruction charges scrapped.

Lawyers for Scholarism conevor, Wong, 18 and Federation of Students head Nathan Law Kwun-chung, 22, told Eastern Court today that they would apply for the charges against their clients to be stayed.

Co-accused Albert Chan Wai-yip, 60, and Raphael Wong Ho-ming, 26, who are representing themselves, will make the same application. 

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If these applications – due to be made to a magistrate at a hearing on October 26 - are successful, the four men will not face trial.

Read more: Trio of Occupy leaders charged over protest that sparked 79-day sit-ins

Read more: Secretive meeting between Hong Kong Democrats and top Beijing official a ‘normal arrangement’, State Council office claims

Law, Chan and Joshua Wong are accused of obstructing Sergeant Ho Kwok-chu, while Chan, Rafael Wong, and Joshua Wong are accused of obstructing another police officer, Lai Kin-man. Joshua Wong and Chan pleaded not guilty to two counts of obstruction, the other defendants to one such count.

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