Hong Kong court sentences Jimmy Lai, other activists to jail

The West Kowloon court in Hong Kong on Friday sentenced several opposition figures and activists to jail.

The court issued sentences for nine people, who are accused of organising and taking part in unauthorised protests in 2019, in which thousands of people demonstrated peacefully.

Among them was media mogul Jimmy Lai, who received a sentence of one year.

Lai, founder of the independent newspaper Apple Daily, faces another charge of violating security law, including for conspiracy with foreign forces, broadcaster RTHK reported.

Also among those sentenced is Martin Lee, sometimes called the “father of democracy’’, who was sentenced to 11 months in jail as part of a two-year sentence, part of which was suspended.

The activist Leung Kwok-hung has to spend 18 months in jail, while former parliamentarian Lee Cheuk-yan was sentenced to one year.

Two other former lawmakers, Cyd Ho and Au Nok-hin, received eight and 10 months respectively.

Other activists received suspended sentences.

Authorities in Hong Kong had increasingly used a new security law to crack down on all opposition, with a focus on the territory’s pro-democracy movement.

Theresa Bergmann of Amnesty International said the office had demanded the immediate release of those jailed.

“The unjustified trial, the conviction and the high sentence emphasise the intention of the Hong Kong government to silence any political opposition.’’