Hong Kong: Hong Kong student leader Alex Chow on Sunday accused police of mounting a campaign of harassment against pro-democracy campaigners after he became the latest figure to be arrested and released by police.
Several protest leaders have been summoned in recent days over offences relating to the mass protests that shut down parts of the city late last year, only to be released in what lawyers have condemned as a potential abuse of process.
Police have vowed to investigate the "principal instigators" of the rallies calling for free leadership elections, in what campaigners say is part of a crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.
Chow, who voluntarily turned himself in on Sunday in line with a police request, said he had been formally arrested but not charged after being questioned for around an hour.
"If they have enough evidence, for sure... they can lay the charges," Chow said, accusing the authorities of creating politically motivated "white terror".
"I can't think of any other reason (for the arrests) other than creating white terror or a politically motivated one," he said.
A police spokeswoman declined to comment on Chow's case when asked by AFP.
On Friday, Joshua Wong, the teenage face of the pro-democracy movement, and several other protesters were also arrested on counts relating to the mass protests and then released.
Wong's lawyer Michael Vidler said authorities were trying to create a "sense of uncertainty" and that if charges were laid at a later time based on evidence already in hand it would constitute an "an abuse of process".
Beijing has pledged that Hong Kong can choose its own leader for the first time in 2017 but insists on vetting candidates, an arrangement which protesters dismiss as "fake democracy".
Hong Kong and Beijing have consistently branded the protests illegal.
Other leading figures have been asked to show up at police stations in the week ahead, including outspoken media tycoon Jimmy Lai -- whose house and office were firebombed on Monday -- and the three founders of the Occupy Central campaign.
Several protest leaders have been summoned in recent days over offences relating to the mass protests that shut down parts of the city late last year, only to be released in what lawyers have condemned as a potential abuse of process.
Police have vowed to investigate the "principal instigators" of the rallies calling for free leadership elections, in what campaigners say is part of a crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.
Chow, who voluntarily turned himself in on Sunday in line with a police request, said he had been formally arrested but not charged after being questioned for around an hour.
"I can't think of any other reason (for the arrests) other than creating white terror or a politically motivated one," he said.
Advertisement
On Friday, Joshua Wong, the teenage face of the pro-democracy movement, and several other protesters were also arrested on counts relating to the mass protests and then released.
Advertisement
Beijing has pledged that Hong Kong can choose its own leader for the first time in 2017 but insists on vetting candidates, an arrangement which protesters dismiss as "fake democracy".
Advertisement
Other leading figures have been asked to show up at police stations in the week ahead, including outspoken media tycoon Jimmy Lai -- whose house and office were firebombed on Monday -- and the three founders of the Occupy Central campaign.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Hong Kong to Launch 'Inverse Bitcoin ETF' for First Time in Asia Hong Kong to Explore Legislations Around Crypto, Sets Up Dedicated Subcommittee British Judges' Resignations Put Hong Kong Rule Of Law In Spotlight Nurse Raped, Killed On Way Home, Body Found 9 Days Later In UP "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool This US City Has Been Declared America's Least Desirable, Survey Finds Trump To Hold Press Conference, His Campaign Adds Senior Advisers Left, BJP, Creating Unrest: Mamata Banerjee On Midnight Attack At Hospital 'Don't Club Us With Others,' Says Manipur's Thadou Tribe, Waits For Peace Plan Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.