The jailing of 10 pro-democracy activists for over a year makes a mockery of claims that the Hong Kong Government continues to allow free expression in the city

Today, ten pro-democracy activists including the owner of Apple Daily newspaper Jimmy Lai, veteran pro-democracy activist Albert Ho, trade unionist Lee Cheuk-Yan and Avery Ng, were jailed for attending an unauthorised assembly on 1 October 2019 as part of the anti-Extradition Bill protests.

Figo Chan, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, and former pro-democracy lawmakers Lee Cheuk-Yan, “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung and Albert Ho all received 18 months in prison. Jimmy Lai, Avery Ng, Richard Tsoi and former pro-democracy lawmakers Cyd Ho, Sin Chung-Kai and Yeung Sum received 14 months in prison.

Among the ten pro-democracy activists, four were previously sentenced to jail in relation to two other cases of unauthorized assembly that happened on 8 August and 31 August 2019. Lee-Cheuk Yan faces 20 months in prison over a total of three cases, Leung Kwok-Hung 22 months over two cases, Albert Ho a year over two cases, and Jimmy Lai 20 months over two cases with a trial under the National Security Law pending.

On the same day, former pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo who is currently being detained under the National Security Law for her participation in the pro-democracy primaries last year, had her bail request denied on the grounds of Whatsapp conversations she had with journalists from the Wall Street Journal and BBC World.

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

“The jailing of ten pro-democracy activists for over a year for their participation in a peaceful protest in 2019, makes a mockery of claims by the Hong Kong Government that they continue to uphold Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the right to free expression in the city.

Increasingly we are seeing the widely discredited Public Order Ordinance being used by Beijing and its acolytes in the Hong Kong Government to target pro-democracy activists and crush dissent. With sentencing going from what was previous a fixed-penalty fine to now over a year in jail, Beijing is seeking to make the cost of peaceful protest in Hong Kong severe.

On the same day, we learn that it is now a crime under the National Security Law for individuals to message foreign journalists. This is yet another part of Beijing’s all out assault on the free press in Hong Kong.

The international community must respond to the continuing crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong with coordinated action, including calling for the release of all political prisoners, pushing for the creation of a UN Special Rapporteur for Hong Kong, and targeted Magnitsky sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for gross human rights violations.”