Hong Kong Authorities Arrest 7 On Police Stabbing Case

Hong Kong authorities arrested seven people, including two women, under a new controversial security law on charges related to the stabbing a police officer, local media reported on Friday.

According to the local daily South China Morning Post, five men and two women were arrested on suspicions of helping Wong Kwan-wa, 24, flee the city after the attack on a police officer.

On July 1, Wong was arrested on charges of stabbing a police officer in the city and was later apprehended by security forces at the airport while trying to leave the city, the daily reported.

Last Friday, police brought Wong before the court, where he was remanded in custody and his case was adjourned until Aug. 24.

Court blocks police from unlocking activists' phones

Meanwhile, Hong Kong'sHigh Court on Friday rejected a police plea to allow them to unlock the phones of prominent former legislators facing several charges related to last year's anti-extradition protests.

The phones belong to former lawmakers Martin Lee, Albert Ho, Sin Chung-kai, Au Nok-hin and Yeung Sum, who are facing charges of organizing, participating in, and inciting others to join three unauthorized anti-government protests last year, Radio Television Hong Kong reported.

It also barred police from searching the contents of the phones until the next hearing on Aug. 13.

The pro-democracy activists were arrested in April over alleged involvement in a mass anti-government demonstration last year.

On June 30, China's National People's Congress unanimously passed a new security law that was promulgated in Hong Kong on July 1 to tighten security in the city.

It has drawn criticism within Hong Kong and in the international community, which Beijing has dismissed as "foreign intervention."

Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous region that has been part of China since 1997, when the UK handed over the former colony to Beijing.

Since last year, it has witnessed widespread protests sparked by a move to legalize extradition of people to mainland China.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid -