Andy Li’s lawyer not hired by family, says sister

2021-03-31 HKT 21:23″ title=”Andy Li, seen in an online photo here, is accused of colluding with a foreign country or an external element to endanger national security.”>

Andy Li, seen in an online photo here, is accused of colluding with a foreign country or an external element to endanger national security.

The sister of national security suspect Andy Li said the lawyer who represented her brother in court on Wednesday was not hired by the family, raising questions if the situation is similar to how defendants were assigned counsels by mainland authorities.

Li, 30, is charged with colluding with foreign forces among other offenses and the case was mentioned at West Kowloon court again in his absence as he’s still undergoing quarantine.

His sister, Beatrice Li, told RTHK that she only found out from the news that a barrister was representing her brother, and she wouldn’t believe he would refuse a lawyer arranged by the family and hire his own.

She suspected he might have come under pressure.

She added that her brother had asked the family to arrange him a lawyer in letters he sent earlier.

Chief Magistrate Victor So adjourned the case to April 7 as the defendant is still in quarantine.

Andy Li and seven others were handed over to the Hong Kong police last week after the group completed prison terms in Guangdong for an illegal border crossing.

His whereabouts were also a mystery as his family had said they have been unable to contact him since he returned to Hong Kong.

He’s reportedly being remanded at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, but the Correctional Services Department has not confirmed that, saying it doesn’t comment on individual cases.