7 appear in court for bomb plot in Hong Kong

Seven people allegedly involved in a terrorist bomb plot appeared in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on charges of conspiracy to incite others to subvert State power on Wednesday afternoon.

The seven, aged between 16 and 25, were tied to a case in which a separatist group allegedly planned to set off homemade explosives in courtrooms, railways and streets. On July 5, during a series of police raids, the police's National Security Department arrested nine people from the separatist group, including six secondary school students and a staff member at a local university and his wife who worked at a secondary school.

Some were arrested at a hostel at Tsim Sha Tsui, in which one of the rooms was turned into a makeshift bomb factory. Among the seven, three secondary students appeared in West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on July 7 for conspiring to commit terrorist activities and were denied bail by Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak, a designated judge for cases related to national security.

On July 12, five more related to the case were arrested, including three students. A 16-year-old girl was also arrested on Tuesday.

Police said earlier the young students were recruited through online platforms or at anti-government street booths and were promised they would be sent away from the city after carrying out the bombing.

Also on Tuesday, the trial began for a man who was charged with inciting others to commit secession by chanting "Hong Kong independence" on over 20 occasions from Aug 15 to Nov 22 last year. The trial is expected to last five days.