Jailing of 7 activists for illegal assembly demands an international response

Today, seven pro-democracy activists were sentenced to at least 11 months in prison for taking part in an “unauthorised” protest in October 2019, at the height of the anti-Extradition Bill protest movement in which hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers took to the streets.

Former League of Social Democrats chairs Raphael Wong and Avery Ng, former League of Social Democrats members Figo Chan and “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, and veteran democrats Yeung Sum, Albert Ho, and Cyd Ho all received at least 11-month prison sentences to be served concurrently with current jail sentences. Out of the seven defendants, all bar Raphael Wong are already in jail.

The Department for Justice has indicated it may appeal the verdict for a harsher sentence.

Commenting on the sentencing Benedict Rogers, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive, said:

“Every week the cost of free expression in Hong Kong gets that much steeper, as the authorities continue to abuse the law to retrospectively punish brave activists who have previously dared to take to the streets peacefully and speak out for democracy.

Where once judges were required to consider the protection of freedom of expression and assembly which is guaranteed by Hong Kong’s Basic Law and sentencing guidelines which would limit sentences of “unlawful protest” to a fine or community service, judges are now - likely under the instruction of Beijing - setting increasingly draconian sentencing precedents for peaceful protestors.

The international community must recognise that Hong Kong’s judicial system is neither independent nor does the rule of law exist when it comes to political cases. Governments must actively campaign for the release of all political prisoners and work towards coordinated Magnitsky sanctions against those Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for the continued human rights violations in the city.”