Cardinal Joseph Zen has been arrested by the officials in Hong Kong on suspicion of foreign involvement. He is Hong Kong’s most vocal senior Catholic priest.
Joseph Zen is a Hong Kong-born Catholic cardinal who served as the sixth Bishop of Hong Kong. In 2006, he was made a cardinal, and he advocated for human rights, political freedom, and religious liberty.
His close ties to the pro-democracy movement, as well as the leadership of the People’s Republic of China, are frequently criticized.
Joseph left Hong Kong on April 15, 2009, although he maintains a powerful pro-democracy figure. He was detained by the National Security Police on May 11, 2022.
Why Was Cardinal Joseph Zen Arrested In Hong Kong?
Cardinal Joseph Zen and four others who helped organize a now-defunct humanitarian fund for demonstrators were arrested by Hong Kong police on Wednesday on suspicions of cooperation with foreign forces.
The trustees were detained on Wednesday evening local time, according to the Standard newspaper.
As per a police sergeant on the spot, the 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong was being detained in Chai Wan police station, adjacent to his church premises.
Zen and four others, including Denise Ho, a Canadian-Hong Kong music artist, Hui Po Keung, and Margaret Ng and Cyd Ho, former opposition politicians, were detained for alleged involvement with foreign forces, according to Reuters.
Many Catholics, notably the cardinal, cautioned before the law’s enactment that it could be used to suppress the Church in Hong Kong. His detention will provide a problem for the Vatican, which has been silent on the Hong Kong investigation.
Know About Humanitarian Relief Fund Connection With Joseph Zen Arrest Case
Joseph Zen was arrested in his function as a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund on May 11, which assisted pro-democracy activists with legal bills.
According to the publication, the fund, which was formed in 2019, was abolished last year after the national security police ordered it to provide operational details.
The charges came after police announced in September that they had initiated an investigation into the fund for possible national security legislation infractions.
In June 2021, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s equivalent of a diplomat, stated that expressing out on the situation in Hong Kong would not make much difference.
Cardinal Joseph Zen Is Presently Jailed In Hongkong
Cardinal Joseph Zen is held in jail for his engagement in a humanitarian relief fund and international affairs.
Since John Lee was appointed as Hong Kong’s new chief executive, there has been a fresh generation of prison sentences under the national security law.
He has stated that one of his key aims is elected will be to ensure stability and protect national security as per the source.
The detention was reported by lawyers familiar with the matter. The three were trustees of the charity, which gave financial aid to those detained during pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.