Up to 16 months in prison for Occupy Centralleader in Hong Kong

the leader of the democracy movement in Hong Kong from 2014 have been sentenced on Wednesday to up to 16 months in prison. Nine members of Parliament, academics, and student leaders had been spoken two weeks ago for sedition guilty. The law Professor, Benny Tai and the social scientists, Chan Kin-Man must, therefore, 16 months in prison. Two more protest leaders have been sentenced to eight months in prison. Other activists received suspended sentences or have to for my community service hours.

Tai, Chan and Baptist Minister Chu Yiu-Ming had founded in 2013, the movement Occupy Central for political reforms in the Chinese special administrative zone. The following year, she joined the student protests of the so-called umbrella movement. The protests at times tens of thousands of people had called for more democracy and free elections in Hong Kong.

"One country, two systems"?

the defendants were Sentenced on the basis of a law from the colonial period, which provides for penalties in the case of a disturbance of the public order detention of up to seven years. All the activists were spoken to in at least one of the charge guilty. The process has been criticised by human rights organisations sharply.

The former British crown colony Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997. Under the formula of "One country, two systems," said the people's Republic of China Hong Kong for 50 years of far-reaching inner autonomy.

In Hong Kong apply basic rights that are denied to the citizens of the people's Republic, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The Opposition accuses Beijing, however, increasingly involved in Hong Kong Affairs to interfere and to violate the autonomy agreements.

(mac/sda)

Created: 24.04.2019, 06:59 PM