'Shenzhen Detainees To Face Trial On Monday'

The concern group, "Save 12 Hong Kong Youths", said on Friday that some families have been notified by lawyers appointed by mainland authorities that their loved ones will face trial at a court in Shenzhen on Monday afternoon.

The 12 young Hongkongers have been detained in the mainland for more than four months, after being picked up by the Guangdong coast guard while allegedly trying to flee from the SAR to Taiwan by speedboat. The 11 men and one woman were captured on August 23. The youngest is 16.

Shenzhen authorities announced earlier this month that they charged two of them with organising the illegal crossing and eight with crossing the border illegally, while a closed-door hearing will be conducted for the remaining two detainees who are minors.

A mainland lawyer working for one of the families said earlier that he expected ten of the detainees to return to the SAR before Lunar New Year in February, while the two minors might even be returned earlier.

The eleven are suspected of protest-related offences in the SAR, and one of them was arrested under the National Security Law.

A staff member at the Yantian People's Court told RTHK by telephone that the hearings will be closed to the public because it is a "secret case."

On Friday evening, the Security Bureau said it was trying to find out more details of the hearing and would help the families forward any requests to the mainland authorities.

Separately, a mainland lawyer working for the family of one of the detainees said he believed the trial could be over in just one day if the defendants plead guilty.

Lu Siwei said he expects a judgment the same day or within two months.

He added that he may not go to the court on Monday as he believes he could be of little help if it’s a closed-door trial.

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