Among those sentenced was Jimmy Lai, 72, who founded the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. Lai was sentenced to 12 months in prison for his involvement in a peaceful protest on August 18.
Former “Longhair” lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung, who was sentenced to 18 months, Lee Cheuk-yan, 12 months, Au Nok-hin, 10 months, and Cyd Ho, 8 months, were also jailed.
Judge Amanda Woodcock said during sentencing on Friday that the accused “deliberately defied the law” and that the unauthorized protests pose a direct challenge to police authority, and therefore law and order. ”
She said the sentence imposed should reflect “the seriousness of the offense and the criminality”, as well as the “conscious decision” by the accused to violate the law.
Woodcock has heard two cases simultaneously and has yet to pronounce sentences on protest on 31 August 2019, which means Lai and Lee could face even longer prison terms.
Several defendants avoided prison and received suspended sentences due to their advanced age and long record of public service. These include Martin Lee, an 82-year-old veteran lawyer often referred to as ‘Hong Kong’s father of democracy’, and veteran pro-democracy activists Albert Ho, Margaret Ng and Leung Yiu-chung.
Illegal protests
Audrey Eu, Lai’s lawyer, said during the mitigation hearing on Friday that Lai should not be jailed for not breaking the peace. “He exercised his constitutional right of peaceful assembly, but did not do so out of personal gain or greed,” she said.
Prosecutors on Friday added a second charge under the National Security Act against Lai during another court hearing on Friday. In addition to the unauthorized charge for the meeting, Lai is now facing two charges of conspiracy with foreign powers, which imposed a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Ng, a 73-year-old lawyer, received applause in court after delivering a speech, saying she was determined to stand up for Hong Kong’s democratic rights.
“The rule of law must be defended not only in court but also in the streets and the community,” Ng said. “The rule of law is not just about the law, but also about governance, and laws that protect rights tend to win the trust of the people.”
Attorney Graham Harris, who represented Martin Lee and Albert Ho, also emphasized their decades-long public service as lawmakers.
“Justice does not have to be served by locking up two people who have dedicated their lives to the service of the community,” he said.
Mass pro-democracy protests
In connection with the protest on August 18, Lai and eight others were convicted after leading hundreds of thousands of protesters from a protest in Victoria Park on a march to the city’s central district, calling for greater government accountability and a independent investigation into police brutality.
Although police refused permission for a march, organizers claim that up to 1.7 million people took part in the protest, which brought parts of the city to a standstill. CNN is unable to verify this estimate independently.
In the second case, Lai and two others were convicted at a separate rally on August 31 that year.
While defense attorneys have argued that the police should not be given the power to ban protests because it would violate the constitutional protection of freedom of assembly, Justice Woodcock said the Hong Kong Supreme Court had upheld its legality before.
Before the trial on Friday, dozens of people could be seen queuing outside the courthouse for a seat in the public gallery. The court has opened a few more areas as extensions to accommodate the crowd.