Eight spared jail in Hong Kong over 2016 protest against Beijing’s interpretation of Basic Law
- Chairmen of two political parties and a former student leader given suspended jail terms over unlawful assembly outside central government’s liaison office in the city
- Five others handed community service
Eight pro-democracy activists charged over a protest against Beijing’s interpretation of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution three years ago were all spared jail on Wednesday.
The chairmen of two political parties – Avery Ng Man-yuen, 42, of the League of Social Democrats, and Ivan Lam Long-yin, 24, from Demosisto – were jailed for two weeks at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court, but had their sentences suspended for a year. Co-defendant Cheng Pui-lun, a 24-year-old former student leader, got the same punishment.
The remaining five defendants, including former Demosisto member Derek Lam Shun-hin, 25, were ordered to serve 60 to 100 hours of community service.
The ruling came after the eight faced charges of unlawful assembly, obstructing police and incitement over their involvement in clashes outside the central government’s liaison office.
While Derek Lam and Ivan Lam pleaded guilty to charges of incitement and taking part in an unlawful assembly respectively, the other six were convicted of their respective charges after trial.