Hong Kong Convicts 2 in 2014 Cleaver Attack on Journalist
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Version 0 of 1. HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted two men in a cleaver attack on a journalist last year, the public broadcaster RTHK reported. The journalist, Kevin Lau Chun-to, sustained severe cuts to his back and legs in the attack in February 2014, which heightened concerns about threats to press freedom in the semiautonomous Chinese territory. He had been removed as chief editor of the newspaper Ming Pao, a respected Chinese-language daily, weeks before, and his dismissal had prompted protests. On Thursday, the jury found the suspects, Yip Kim-wah and Wong Chi-wah, guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, RTHK said. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 21. The two men told the court that they were each offered 100,000 Hong Kong dollars, or about $12,900, to carry out the attack, but they did not say who had offered the money, The South China Morning Post reported. The men said they had been beaten by police officers in Guangdong Province, where they were arrested, to force a confession, the newspaper reported. The police said it was unclear if there was a link to Mr. Lau’s journalism. He said in January that he could not think of any other reason he would have been attacked. |