A Hong Kong woman, Ami Chan Hui-ching, has been acquitted of two charges related to the 2019 anti-government protests after returning from Australia. On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the Eastern Court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the 21-year-old casino cashier carried two laser pointers and three bottles of spray paint for illegal purposes on September 8, 2019.
Magistrate Edward Wong Ching-yu highlighted that no demonstration or gathering was taking place when a police constable intercepted Chan and five men outside a public toilet on Oil Street in Fortress Hill that night. Wong noted that Chan, who was 15 at the time, did not carry any protest paraphernalia or items indicating intent to engage in conflicts or vandalism.
The magistrate also rejected prosecutors' claim that Chan might have been among those fleeing police during a nearby protest in Causeway Bay. Additionally, Wong dismissed a constable's verbal testimony that Chan walked faster after seeing police, stating that such an observation would have been included in the officer's written statement if true.
This verdict follows Chan's return from Australia and concludes the legal proceedings concerning her alleged involvement in the 2019 unrest.
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