Cardinal Joseph Zen

Joseph Zen Ze-kiun 陳日君

Age at arrest: 90

Former Cardinal, Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong; fomer trustee, 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund

*Currently on bail

Cardinal Joseph Zen served as the sixth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009. He was appointed as Cardinal in 2006, and has been outspoken on issues regarding human rights and freedoms, including freedom of religion or belief. As a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, he was arrested on 11 May 2022 on suspicion of “conspiring to collude with foreign forces” under the National Security Law, and was later charged with “failing to apply for registration or exemption from registration within the specified time” under the Societies Ordinance.

Cardinal Zen was allowed to leave Hong Kong on 23 April 2025 to attend Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican, after a court granted an application to temporarily return the retired bishop’s passport. He returned to Hong Kong after the funeral.

Charges, incidents & sentences:

• Charge: Failing to apply for registration or exemption from registration within the specified time

  Incident: Alongside four other trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund and the fund’s secretary, Cardinal Zen was arrested for failing to apply for registration or exemption from registration within the specified time. All six were found guilty on 25 November 2022. The five trustees, Cardinal Joseph Zen, barrister Margaret Ng, ex-lawmaker Cyd Ho, scholar Hui Po-keung, and singer-activist Denise Ho, were fined HK$4,000 each and the secretary, Sze Ching-wee, was fined HK$2,500. The trustees filed an appeal in December 2022, while Sze did not challenge his conviction. (HKFP, HKFP)

  Sentence: HK$4,000