First Protester Charged, Police Accused Of Abuse

The first suspect to appear in court in connection with the ongoing anti-extradition protests has been denied bail, as he accused the police of mistreating him while in custody.

Pun Ho-chiu, better known as 'the painter', has been charged with assaulting police officers, criminal damage, and behaving in a disorderly manner in connection with a rowdy protest last month, when thousands of people surrounded police headquarters in Wan Chai. He was not asked to enter a plea when he appeared at Eastern Court.

Prosecutors allege the 31-year-old assaulted eight officers and damaged walls and escalators at the complex.

But Pun, who is a street artist and well-known activist, raised several complaints about police treatment after his arrest.

His lawyer said officers had failed to caution Pun or explain what he was being arrested for. Officers allegedly touched his genitals twice, refused to give him meals on three occasions, and one is accused of threatening the activist in Mandarin, saying he'd be sent to the mainland if he doesn't behave.

But the magistrate said it's not the court's position to look into such claims, and there is a separate mechanism for complaints against the police.

The court also heard that Pun, though based in Yau Ma Tei, does not have a permanent address, and lives on HK$500 a month. His case was adjourned to August 2, and the magistrate denied a defence request to free the suspect on bail.

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