Hong Kong sentences pro-democracy activists to jail

Joshua Wong will spend 13½ months in prison after protesting excessive use of force outside a police station in June of last year. His fellow pro-democracy activists Ivan Lam and Agnes Chow received seven- and 10-month sentences, respectively. The West Kowloon magistrates court handed down the sentences on Wednesday after authorities detained the three activists without bail in November.

What are the accusations? Magistrate Wong Sze-lai said the trio called on protesters to “besiege” the police headquarters and undermined law enforcement during the rally, which drew thousands of people. The activists belonged to the defunct Demosisto political party and helped to draw international attention to Hong Kong’s crackdown on dissent. The formerly semi-autonomous territory of China has detained at least 31 people under a national security law Beijing imposed in June.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report on the mass resignation of pro-democracy lawmakers from the Hong Kong legislature.