Umbrellamovement : Nine democracy activists in Hong Kong found guilty

four and a half years after the "umbrella movement" for democracy in Hong Kong have been spoken for nine leaders of the former protests of the guilty. A court in the Chinese special administrative region imposed the sentences on Tuesday for sedition and part of a conspiracy for the disturbance of public order. Among the Convicted members of Parliament, renowned academics as well as student leaders. The first punishment may be announced in the course of Tuesday. You can have up to seven years in prison.

The process is the largest against the leading participants in the Pro-democracy movement, which had laid in 2014, parts of the Asian economic and financial metropolis of the week, lame. Since its return to China in 1997, the former British colony according to the principle of "one country, two systems" autonomously as its own territory. As a response to the protests, the Communist leadership in Beijing had attracted a but the reins in dealing with Hong Kong.

Civil disobedience

The movement got its name from the umbrellas used by protesters against the tear gas of the police and the burning sun or the rain, while you were occupied 79 days peacefully important road trains. The law Professor, Benny Tai, the sentenced, social scientists, Chan Kin-Man and Baptist pastor Chu Yiu-Ming were charged with conspiracy to disrupt public order. They had founded the movement "Occupy Central" and as an act of civil disobedience to the occupation of the business district of the metropolis is called.

The Deputy Tanya Chan and Shiu Ka-chun, as well as the former MP Lee Wing-tat, the student leaders Tommy Cheung and Eason Chung and Raphael Wong, a member of the Pro-democracy League of social Democrats, were found to be in part different charges of inciting to the disturbance of public order, guilty. The hearing before the court of the West Kowloon had taken place in November. Members should go longer than a month in prison, they lose their seat in Parliament.

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for Free order

The process warned, met with sharp criticism from international human rights groups such as Amnesty, the "intimidating effect" on the freedom of the company in Hong Kong. Unlike the people in the people's Republic of China, the seven million Hong Kong is comparatively great rights of the press, freedom of expression and freedom of Assembly and freedom to enjoy, although the metropolis is since 1997 under Chinese sovereignty.

loyalty is a decisive criterion

The prosecution against the leaders of the movement began only with a considerable delay. Just a day after a Beijing-loyal Committee had selected the new head of government Carrie Lam, in March 2017, had charges been levied. The protesters were met at the time of this selection process, and the right claimed to be their political leaders and the Parliament in truly free elections.

In the Wake of the protests in 2014, activists and political parties, which had demanded more rights of self-determination or independence for Hong Kong, banned, or was prevented from doing so but, rather, in the case of the already only limited elections in the special administrative region to compete.

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"umbrella"movement, leader of the democracy movement in Hong Kong profess innocence

Indeed, the applicable since 1997, the basic law in Hong Kong, the direct election of the heads of government, at least in prospect, but insists Beijing that the candidates must go through a rigorous selection process. The loyalty is to China's leaders, the decisive criterion. (dpa)