Cardinal Joseph Zen said he hoped the public would not link his conviction with the city’s religious freedom

Cardinal Joseph Zen said he hoped the public would not link his conviction with the city’s religious freedom after the 90-year-old was fined HK$4,000 with four other trustees.

He told reporters after the verdict that “I’m just a Hong Kong citizen who strongly supports providing humanitarian assistance.” He added, “Although I’m a religious figure, I hope this (case) won’t be associated with our freedom of religion.

It’s not related.” The six were charged with failing to register the “612 Humanitarian Relief Fund,” which provided legal and medical assistance to those arrested during pro-democracy protests in 2019. All of them pleaded not guilty.