Activist Joshua Wong jailed for 13 and a half months over protest

Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam were also jailed over protests at police HQ last year.

Joshua Wong, the high-profile Hong Kong activist, was sentenced to over a year in prison for the protests held in front of police headquarters in June last year.

Agnes Chow, 23, was sentenced to 10 months, and Ivan Lam, 26, to seven months.

Wong indicated that he expected the conviction after admitting that he had organized the event and incited other people to attend an unauthorized assembly in front of police headquarters in June 2019. The three were imprisoned immediately, and Chow’s request for bail was refused.

Judge Wong Sze-lai took note of the activists’ statements and said that detention is the only appropriate option to discourage others from organizing illegal demonstrations.

The court stated that the three defendants’ offense period lasted about 15 minutes and considered as aggravating factors the period during which the unauthorized assembly was organized, a period of riots and social unrest.

The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution protects the right of free assembly.

The three pleaded guilty to all the charges. The most serious situation is that of Agnes Chow, who in addition to being convicted for inciting and participating in the demonstration, risks other charges under the new controversial national security law in Hong Kong, after being arrested in August.