12 Protesters Sentenced to 4 to 6 Years and 10 Months in Prison
National Security Act Enacted in 2020... Maximum Life Imprisonment
The Hong Kong court sentenced 12 protesters who occupied the Legislative Council building and committed acts of violence during the large-scale anti-government protests in 2019 to prison terms of 4 to 6 years.
According to Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK on the 16th, among the 12 people convicted of rioting charges including the occupation of the Legislative Council building on July 1, 2019, actor Gregory Wong (王宗堯, 45), political activist Ventus Lau, and Owen Chow also received prison sentences.
Earlier, on the night of July 1, 2019, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, hundreds of protesters stormed the legislature, occupied the building, and damaged property. The court handed the heaviest sentence of 6 years and 10 months to Lam Kam Kwan, who led the property damage at the scene.
Gregory Wong was sentenced to a heavy term of 6 years and 2 months, despite being inside the building for less than 5 minutes, with the court stating that his participation in the protest was not diminished. However, the original sentence of 6 and a half years was partially reduced due to his lack of prior convictions and not contesting the prosecution's claims.
Gregory Wong is a well-known actor who debuted in a drama in Taiwan in 2003 and has appeared in various works in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. He was the most actively participating actor in the protests. After being arrested by the police and detained for 36 hours, he was released and immediately rejoined the protests.
In addition, Ventus Lau and Owen Chow were sentenced to 4 and a half years and 5 years and 1 month respectively, while two former journalists prosecuted alongside them were not sentenced to prison for rioting but were fined 1,000 to 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 170,000 to 250,000 KRW) for remaining at the protest site.
In response to the large-scale anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019, China enacted the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020, allowing for the death penalty or life imprisonment for those committing four types of crimes: secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces. Furthermore, the Hong Kong government is attempting to supplement the 2020 law by enacting a new national security law, known as the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, within the year.
The Hong Kong court’s decision to impose heavy sentences of around six years on protesters involved in events from five years ago is seen as reflecting the authorities’ trend toward strengthening social control.
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