Hong Kong Court Throws Out Jail Terms for 13 Pro‑Democracy Activists
On Friday, September 7, the Court of Final Appeal pulled back jail sentences that had been slapped on 13 activists who had stormed Hong Kong’s Legislative Council back in 2014. It was a classic “turning the tables” move after the government pushed for harsher punishments.
The Original Deal
- Accused of unlawful assembly for breaching the legislature’s walls.
- Initially handed community‑service or suspended sentences.
- Government appealed and secured 8‑13‑month jail terms.
All 13 of them were already on bail while the appeal was pending.
Who Were They?
— Democracy activists and student leaders,
— humble villagers from northern Hong Kong’s rural northeast,
— proponents of a massive protest against a housing redevelopment scheme that they claimed had gone through without proper public consultation.
Why It Matters
These actions came just weeks before the Umbrella Movement’s mass rallies that halted parts of the city for more than two months. The Court’s decision is the second time this year that the highest court has quashed jail terms that were inflated from the original lighter punishments.
Voices from the Frontline
“We’re happy and excited about this result,” said Raphael Wong, one of the 13. He and the others insisted nothing violent went down during the protest. “We had no intention at all to hurt anybody,” he added, warning that future protests would need to be “well‑disciplined” to survive tighter restrictions.
Previous Court Upswings
In February, the campus of the Umbrella Movement saw a similar triumph: Joshua Wong and two other leaders overturned their jail terms after the government had converted their community‑service sentences into prison. That case was a litmus test for Hong Kong’s judicial independence.
The Bigger Picture: One Country, Two Systems
Since 1997, folks in Hong Kong have lived under a unique “one country, two systems” arrangement – a legacy of Britain handing the territory back to China. The deal keeps the city’s freedoms, like free speech and an independent judiciary, intact. However, Beijing’s tightening grip raises alarms that these semi‑autonomous rights might not stay safe.
For now, the Court’s decision gives a fleeting sigh of relief to the city’s democracy activists, but the future remains uncertain as authorities keep tightening the noose. Whether the protesters can keep their spirit without burning bridges will be a story to watch closely.
