Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong, Ivan Lam, and Agnes Chow plead guilty over protests

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Ivan Lam, and Agnes Chow have pleaded guilty to charges of organising unauthorised protests outside police headquarter last year. According to The Guardian, the trio may face jail terms of up to five years each in a sentencing hearing scheduled for Wednesday, November 25. Joshua Wong, who rose to international prominence during the 2014 Umbrella movement, said he "expected to be jailed". 

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According to the report, Chow had already decided to plead guilty, while Wong and Lam had planned to challenge the charges. However, on Monday, all three activists pleaded guilty before their trial began.

Wong said that they changed their minds after consulting their lawyers. Wong, while he was being taken back to the custody, shouted, "Everyone, hang in there - add oil," a phrase regular at Hong Kong pro-democracy protests.  

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Wong has been charged with organising, participating, and inciting the unauthorised protest, but as prosecutors failed to provide any evidence of his participation, he pleaded guilty to the other two charges. Chow has pleaded guilty to incitement and participation, while Lam pleaded guilty to only incitement. 

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Wong, after the hearing on Monday, said their case is a "mild one", while urged citizens to direct their attention on Hong Kong 12, a group of people who have been arrested by the Chinese authorities for allegedly trying to illegally cross into Taiwan. China accuses the 12 people of illegally trying to travel to Taiwan by sea in August this year. 

Hong Kong protests

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. 

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(Image Credit: AP)