Hong Kong court jails prominent activists over 2019 protest
A Hong Kong court on Friday sent five leading pro-democracy advocates, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, to up to 18 months in prison; for organizing a march during the 2019 anti-government protests that triggered an overwhelming crackdown from Beijing.
Among those sentenced was Jimmy Lai, 72, who founded the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper. Lai received 14 months in prison for his involvement in two protests on August 18 and 31, 2019.
Also jailed for taking part in both events were Lee Cheuk-yan; a 64-year-old former lawmaker and veteran pro-democracy activist; who received a total of 14 months in prison. Three former lawmakers were jailed over the August 18 march; including “Longhair” Leung Kwok-hung, who received an 18-month sentence, Au Nok-hin, 10 months, and Cyd Ho, 8 months.
During Friday’s sentencing hearing; judge Amanda Woodcock said; the defendants “deliberately defied the law” and the unauthorized protests posed “a direct challenge to the authority of the police; and therefore law and order.”
She said; the sentence imposed should “reflect the seriousness of the offense and culpability,” as well as the “conscious decision” by the defendants to break the law.
Lai’s barrister, Audrey Eu, said during Friday’s mitigation hearing; that Lai should not be given a custodial sentence because he did not breach the peace. “He was exercising his constitutional right of peaceful assembly, (but not) doing it out of personal gain or greed,” she said.
Separately, prosecutors added a second charge under the national security law against Lai during another court hearing on Friday. In addition to the unauthorized assembly charges; Lai now faces two counts of colluding with foreign forces, which carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Beijing had pledged to allow the city to retain civil liberties for 50 years after it reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 but recently has ushered in a series of measures, including the national security legislation and electoral reforms that many fears are a step closer to making Hong Kong no different from mainland cities.
Under the new rules; Hong Kong residents can be held liable for any speech or action deemed secessionist, subversive, terrorist, or perceived as colluding with hostile foreign political groups or individuals.
Electoral changes mean; just 20 out of 90 Legislative Council members will be directly elected and Beijing will retain even tighter control over the body; which picks Hong Kong’s future chief executives.
