August 19, 2002

HONG KONG (AP)--Sixteen Falun Gong followers convicted of public obstruction during a protest against China's [persecution of] the group said Monday they want to avoid paying their fines while the case is under appeal.

Falun Gong spokeswoman Sharon Xu said the defendants filed papers Monday seeking the delay as a matter of principle.

'The verdict is grossly unfair and biased,' Xu said by telephone.

Magistrate Symon Wong convicted the Falun Gong followers - including four Swiss and one New Zealand citizen - Thursday in Hong Kong's first-ever criminal trial against members of the meditation group.

Wong fined the defendants between HK$1,300 and HK$3,800, but nobody got any jail time.

[...]

They have already lodged an appeal, and Falun Gong said it is weighing the option of taking legal action against Hong Kong or Chinese officials for what they view as wrongful arrests and an improper prosecution. Falun Gong said it planned a news conference later Monday to discuss its strategy.

The defendants were protesting here against the suppression of Falun Gong in mainland China [...]

Hong Kong police and the magistrate who tried the case said the defendants' Falun Gong activities weren't at issue, but local human rights activists and opposition politicians called the case a blatantly political prosecution to appease Beijing.

Hong Kong officials didn't immediately return a reporter's phone call asking about Falun Gong's request for the fines to be delayed.