The convictions of the seven activists are related to the 2019 riots against China’s efforts to tighten its grip on what was then a relatively democratic self-rule.
Hong Kong’s Supreme Court unanimously upheld the media ban Jimmy Lain and the convictions of six other democracy activists on Monday. According to the activists’ complaint, their sentences were not proportionate to the basic principles of human rights.
Activists were convicted in 2020 for organizing and participating in an illegal assembly. The verdicts are related to the democracy riots of 2019, which opposed China’s efforts to tighten its grip on the then relatively democratic self-governing region.
Lai and former parliamentarians Lee Cheyk-yan, To Leung Kwok and Cyd Ho received prison sentences of 8–18 years. Sentences were reduced to 3-6 months after convictions for organizing an illegal assembly were dismissed.
Founder of the Hong Kong Democratic Party Martin Leea lawyer Margaret Ng and a politician Albert Ho received suspended sentences.
Jimmy Laita has been kept in solitary confinement for over three years. In addition to the protest sentence, he is serving almost six years in prison for violating the lease agreement of the headquarters of the newspaper he owns. New charges have also been brought against him under China’s national security law.
Source: Reuters