Some of the 53 activists said they expect to be charged on Sunday after being asked to report to their local police stations weeks ahead of their next scheduled check-in under bail arrangements. The activists were arrested on suspicion of "subverting state power" after they took part in a democratic primary election in July 2020, that the authorities said was part of a deliberate attempt to block government bills in the city's Legislative Council (LegCo).
Soon after the primary, chief executive Carrie Lam postponed LegCo elections that should have taken place in early September, citing safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Former Hong Kong University law professor Benny Tai and founder of the 2014 Occupy Central pro-democracy movement and former Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai were among those arrested.
