HONG KONG – One of the popular pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, who is popularly known as ‘Grandma Wong’, said on Saturday that she was detained by Chinese authorities for a month and a half across the border in Shenzhen, adding that she suffered mental torture and was prevented from returning to the city for over a year.
The 64-year-old bespectacled Alexandra Wong is a familiar figure during anti-government protests and is often seen waving a large British flag. However, she was missing since August last year.
Human rights groups and activists expressed concern about her whereabouts and safety.
Wong told reporters she was detained by mainland police when she tried to return to her home in Shenzhen on August 14, 2019.
She was kept at various detention centres for one and a half months and was forced to sleep in a room less than 200 square feet along with 26 others. Wong said she was questioned every day about the protests in Hong Kong.
“I didn’t know what crime I committed,” she said.
After her detention, Wong said she was taken to a five-day patriotic camp in Shaanxi in September last year.
She was prevented from returning until early this month pending a trial which never happened. She had to remain at her Shenzhen home where there were regular visits from security officials.
“I was scared I would be stopped from coming back to Hong Kong… I was scared everyday something might happen again everyday day,” Wong said.
