Convicted Occupy pair lodge judicial appeals against sentences for roles in Hong Kong’s biggest civil disobedience movement
- Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Wing-tat and ex-student leader Eason Chung both had jail terms suspended
Two more key figures in 2014 Occupy movement have lodged judicial appeals against their convictions for their roles in Hong Kong’s biggest ever civil disobedience movement.
The Department of Justice confirmed on Saturday that it received the notice of application for leave to appeal from former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Wing-tat, 63, and ex-student leader Eason Chung Yiu-wa, 26, on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
Lee was found guilty of one incitement charge and had his eight-month term suspended for two years in light of his years of public service. Chung was given a suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of one count of inciting others to incite and another of inciting.
The protests, which began on September 28, 2014, were sparked by anger over a restrictive framework Beijing laid down for the direct election of Hong Kong’s leader. Activists were outraged that the proposal would not allow them to nominate their own leaders, but to choose from a pool of preselected ones.
During the protests, demonstrators poured into Admiralty, Wan Chai and Central, blocking major thoroughfares in the heart of the city. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds but to no avail.