HK democracy activists let out of jail
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s highest court freed pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law on bail yesterday pending an appeal of their prison sentences after they were convicted of sparking massive protests in 2014.
In another development highlighting concerns about human rights in the city, the Chinese and Swedish governments confirmed the release of Gui Minhai, one of five Hong Kong booksellers believed to have been abducted and spirited to mainland China for selling gossipy titles about elite Chinese politicians.
Wong and Law were imprisoned after the justice secretary succeeded in getting an earlier, more lenient sentence overturned, raising concerns about political interference in the courts and dealing a setback to the movement for full democracy in the Chinese-controlled city.
The decision to release Wong, Hong Kong’s most famous activist, and Law, a disqualified lawmaker, coincidentally came the same day China’s Communist Party was ending a twice-a-decade congress in Beijing that expanded President Xi Jinping’s power. Though the events were unrelated, they highlighted the widening rift between mainland China and semi-autonomous Hong Kong.
Wong, 21, and Law, 24, told reporters outside the Court of Final Appeal that they were granted bail until their appeals on November 7.
Even though they’ve been bailed, they said it was unclear if their appeals would be successful and they were prepared to go back to prison.
‘‘The government can lock up our bodies but cannot lock up our minds,’' said Wong, who was sporting a prison-issued buzz cut.
Wong and Law were originally given community service sentences that let them avoid prison after convictions for involvement in an unlawful assembly that kicked off the ‘‘Umbrella Movement’' protests.
Hong Kong’s justice secretary, however, requested that the courts review those punishments. In August, Wong was given six months in prison and Law received eight months.
The move sparked fears that authorities were undermining the city’s independent judiciary.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s Foreign Ministry said it was informed by Chinese authorities that Gui, the bookseller, who has Swedish citizenship, had been released from Chinese detention.
Gui’s daughter, however, disputed the news. – AP