The Taipei District Court on Friday found activist Hung Chung-yen (洪崇晏) and three others guilty of insulting a public official or office during a protest in 2014 that led to scuffles with law enforcement officers.
The protest came on the heels of the Sunflower movement after Hung and other campaigners circulated messages on social media calling for people to “walk by” the Taipei Chungcheng District First Police Precinct, one block from the Legislative Yuan Building, on April 11, 2014.
Hung was sentenced to 55 days in prison.
The court found him not guilty of violating provisions of the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法).
Hsiao Nien-cheng (蕭年呈) was found guilty on two counts of offenses of obstructing an officer in discharge of duties and given a 80-day prison term.
The court sentenced Bunun Aboriginal activist Savungaz Valincinann to 40 days in prison and Jen Catholic University Student Association president Tao Han (陶漢) to 30 days in jail.
The sentences can be commuted to fines.
Hung said he will appeal the ruling.
“It was sad to hear the guilty verdict during the final days of the year. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is in government now, but it feels like our nation is still stuck in the past,” he said. “I hope to see the legislature pass amendments to change the Assembly and Parade Act and abolish restricted zones around government buildings, and do away with the offense of insult to a public official or office. On these offenses, they should not seek criminal prosecution; they can be dealt with in a civil litigation lawsuit for damage compensation.”
“In such cases, even if they seek for punishment under civil litigation, it would still be an infringement on people’s right to freedom of speech. The public should be able to express its opinion when the government undertakes bad policies against the wishes of the people,” he added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS