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Court suspends ruling on ‘unlawful’ Hong Kong mask ban for seven days

Hong Kong police can continue enforcing a ban on demonstrators wearing masks for the next seven days, the High Court said Friday, to allow the government time to appeal an earlier ruling that the action was unconstitutional.
The ban was imposed in October by the city’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam under colonial-era emergency powers not used in more than half a century.
It was aimed at quelling months of unrest sparked by concerns that Beijing was tightening its grip on Hong Kong, but instead triggered fresh protests by demonstrators who said the ban merely underlined their fears.
The High Court earlier this week had ruled the ban to be unlawful, but the government asked for a suspension of the ruling.
The court said Friday it had rejected the government’s request for a longer suspension and decided instead upon a short stay of its ruling due to the “great public importance of the issues raised in this case, and the highly exceptional circumstances that Hong Kong is currently facing.”
Protesters have used face masks to avoid identification and respirators to protect themselves from tear gas.
The new law threatens anyone wearing masks at protests with up to a year in prison.
In its original ruling against the ban, the court had said: “the restrictions it imposes on fundamental rights... go further than is reasonably necessary.”
Demonstrators -- most of them wearing masks -- have continued to clash with police, often violently, as they press demands for greater democracy as well as an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality.
Pro-democracy politician Dennis Kwok, who was among 24 lawmakers who initiated the judicial review against the ban, expressed disappointment with the suspension.
“We say that if a law has already been declared unconstitutional and violating the basic human rights of the Hong Kong people, it should not be enforced at all - not even one day, not even one second,” he said on the floor of the Legislative Council.
But he welcomed the court’s refusal to grant a longer suspension and called on the government to “drop this anti-mask law, drop all prosecutions and focus on finding a political solution for the political crisis that is facing the Hong Kong people.”
Eric Cheung, a legal scholar at the University of Hong Kong, told AFP that any arrests made in the coming week could be invalidated if the ban is ultimately found to be unconstitutional.
Cheung added that if the ban is ultimately determined to be unlawful, police could be held accountable for making illegal arrests.
source: AFP
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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