Bomb Plot Trial: Hong Kong Verdict Splits Defendants

In Hong Kong, three people were convicted and five acquitted concerning bomb plots aimed at closing city borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The plots involved explosions in a hospital and train, with no injuries reported. Three were convicted under conspiracy charges; others were acquitted.

In a significant legal development, a Hong Kong jury delivered a mixed verdict on Thursday regarding bomb plots intended to shut city borders during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Three individuals were found guilty, while five others were acquitted.

The defendants faced charges related to planting explosive devices in a hospital toilet and on a train carriage, both of which went off without causing any injuries. Responsibility for these acts was claimed by a group called '92 Sign,' who demanded medical workers strike and borders close to mitigate COVID-19 spread, via Telegram.

Those convicted were tried under local crime ordinances, not the UN anti-terrorism law. The case highlights ongoing legal challenges from Hong Kong's unrest, including a related trial from 2019 protests. Sentencing is set for October 10, with potential penalties reaching 20 years imprisonment.

(With inputs from agencies.)