Hong Kong Court Upholds Conviction of Cardinal Zen Over Protest Fund

Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, a retired Catholic cardinal from Hong Kong, and four other activists had their final court appeal rejected on Thursday. The case dates back to their 2022 conviction for failing to register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund with police. That fund had raised money for legal defense of people arrested during the 2019 anti-government protests. The Court of Appeal upheld the original ruling, meaning their fines still stand.

The court decided the fund was not simply a charity or a trust, but an organization supporting a specific protest movement. Under Hong Kong's Societies Ordinance, such groups must be registered with authorities unless they receive an exemption. The three judges said this requirement is constitutional and does not create an unfairly harsh limit on people's freedom to associate with one another. That reasoning closes the main legal path for the defendants.

Besides Zen, the other appellants include singer Denise Ho Wan-see, former academic Hui Po-keung, and ex-lawmakers Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho. Each was fined HK$4,000, about US$510. A sixth person, fund secretary Sze Ching-wee, was also convicted but chose not to appeal. Zen is 94 years old and remains a prominent voice in Hong Kong on political and religious matters.

For ordinary readers, this decision shows how Hong Kong's courts are interpreting registration rules for groups connected to protest activity. Supporters see the ruling as part of a wider legal crackdown on dissent; critics argue it narrows space for civil society. Either way, the case sets a binding precedent that similar funds may now have to register or face penalties.