Prominent Hong Kong democracy activists partially win bid to quash convictions over 2019 protest

Seven of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy advocates had part of their convictions quashed on August 14 over their roles in one of the biggest pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Seven of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy advocates had part of their convictions quashed on August 14 over their roles in one of the biggest pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper; Martin Lee, the founding chairman of the city's Democratic Party; and five former pro-democracy lawmakers, including barrister Margaret Ng, had been found guilty of organising and participating an unauthorised assembly.

Mr. Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Kwok-hung and Cyd Ho were jailed between eight and 18 months. Martin Lee, an octogenarian nicknamed the city's “Father of Democracy," Margaret Ng and Albert Ho were given suspended jail sentences.

Their convictions two years ago and their sentences were widely seen as another blow to the city's flagging democracy movement under an unprecedented crackdown by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities.

Judge Andrew Macrae said he and other judges of the Court of Appeal unanimously quashed their convictions over the charge of organising an unauthorised assembly. But their convictions over taking part in an unauthorised assembly were upheld.

“Hence, the four activists who served their jail terms in prison have had part of their sentences in the case quashed,” he said. Mr. Macrae and his colleagues said in a written judgment that an organiser must take some responsibility for or do something active to plan and arrange an action.

“An inference that because they were at the front of the procession, they must have organised it ... is not a realistic or suitable substitute for evidence that they were involved in its organisation,” the judgment said.