Joshua Wong jailed by Hong Kong court for 13 months over 2019 police HQ protest

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam have been jailed by a court for 'organising, participating, and inciting' an unauthorised protest outside a police headquarters last year. Joshua Wong has been jailed for 13 and a half months after he pleaded guilty to charges of organising and inciting an unauthorised rally, while Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam have received a prison term of 10 and seven months respectively. 

Read: Wong Leaves Hong Kong Detention Centre For Court

The trio had pleaded guilty last Monday over charges related to a 2019 protest. The activists had already decided to plead guilty as Wong after the hearing said that he is "ready to be jailed". Wong said that they changed their minds after consulting their lawyers. Wong pleaded guilty to organising and incitement of protest, while Chow pleaded guilty to charges of incitement and participation. Meanwhile, Lam pleaded guilty to incitement only.

Wong has said that the fight will not end anytime soon as they will continue the battle from inside the prison. Despite getting a jail term himself, Wong is still calling for the release of 12 Hong Kongers, who were arrested by the Chinese coast guard earlier this year while fleeing to Taiwan for political asylum. 

Read: Hong Kong Leader Urges People To Stay Home As Cases Rise

On November 26, a Hong Kong court sentenced a 31-year-old man named Pun Ho-Chiu for throwing eggs on police headquarters during last year's protests. The court jailed Pun over charges of property damage, unauthorised assembly, and seven counts of assault. The court said even though eggs were not weapons and no one was harmed during the incident, it is important to send a message otherwise it may encourage others to follow suit. 

Read: Hong Kong Activists Joshua Wong, Ivan Lam, And Agnes Chow Plead Guilty Over Protests

Hong Kong unrest 

The situation in Hong Kong has remained hostile since the mid-last year after millions of people took to the street to protest against an extradition bill, which later turned into a pro-democracy movement. Mainland China introduced the controversial national security law in June this year and arrested several people under what critics argue is a draconian law. So far, an estimated 10,000 people have been arrested in cases related to the ongoing protests. 

Read: Hong Kong Man Gets 21 Months In Prison For Throwing Eggs At Police HQ During 2019 Protests

(Image Credit: AP)