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Will probably stay in custody even longer: Activist Wong in prison in Hong Kong's Lai Chi Kok district
Photo: JEROME FAVRE / EPA
The prison term for Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong is being extended further.
After Wong's original 13.5-month prison sentence was extended by another four months in April, a court found the 24-year-old guilty in another case.
With three district councilors given four to six months in prison, Wong was sentenced to an additional ten months in prison for participating in an unauthorized demonstration last year. The event was a commemoration of the anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing on June 4, 1989. The annual candle worship was banned for the first time last year because of the corona pandemic. Nevertheless, around 20,000 participants had gathered.
The judge argued, according to media reports, that there was a potential risk of violence given the number of demonstrators.
It is therefore necessary to use the penalty to deter others from committing similar offenses.
The four defendants pleaded guilty.
Because of his confession, Wong's sentence has been reduced from 15 to 10 months, according to Reuters news agency.
Wong, who is considered the "face of the democracy movement" in Hong Kong, is currently in custody for his role in other 2019 protests.
The district councilors are Lester Shum, 27, Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai (27) and Jannelle Rosalynne Leung (26).
You are also in custody on charges of violating the so-called security law.
They were denied bail.
The "security law" passed after the demonstrations for more democracy in the Chinese Special Administrative Region in July 2020 is directed against activities that Beijing sees as subversive, separatist, terrorist or conspiratorial.
Since July 1, 1997, the former British crown colony has belonged to China again, but is governed independently according to the principle of "one country, two systems".
This agreement actually provides that Hong Kongers will enjoy "a high degree of autonomy" and many freedoms for 50 years until 2047.
However, China has been severely curtailing special rights for some time.
Only recently, the country passed a controversial electoral reform for Hong Kong, which means that the influence of the democracy camp will be further restricted.
fek / dpa / Reuters
