HK activist freed from jail
HONG KONG — Jailed democracy activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law were released on bail Tuesday pending an appeal against convictions for their role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests.
The sentences handed down by the city's Court of Appeal in August came as fears mount that Beijing is tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city and that the rule of law is being compromised.
Wong, 21, who became the face of the mass pro-democracy protests while still a teenager, was jailed for six months while Law, 24, was imprisoned for eight months.
They were granted bail at the Court of Final Appeal until November 7, the first appearance in the appeal proceedings.
A third activist, Alex Chow, who was jailed for seven months alongside Law and Wong, was not part of Tuesday's hearing.
On emerging from the courthouse, a sombre Law said there had been "unpleasant times" in prison and that he was looking forward to a meal with his family.
Law said the result of the appeal case would depend on "the implementation of 'one country, two systems'", the semiautonomous deal that guarantees Hong Kong rights unseen on the mainland.
China stands accused of trampling the arrangement, made when Britain handed back Hong Kong in 1997.
"I hope the result of the case showcases the protection of human rights in our law system," Law told reporters.