HONG KONG (AP) – A court on Thursday overturned sentences that the prosecution said were too light and sent young Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and two other student leaders of huge pro-democracy protests in 2014 to prison.
The three were immediately taken to serve their sentences of up to eight months. Wong pumped his fist in air as he walked out of the dock into custody.
The three were found guilty of leading or encouraging an illegal rally in September 2014 that kicked off the demonstrations known as the “Umbrella Movement.” Youthful activists brought major thoroughfares to a standstill for 11 weeks to protest Beijing’s plan to restrict elections in the Chinese-ruled former British colony.
Last year, a lower court sentenced Wong and Nathan Law, a student leader who was later elected to the legislature, to community service and gave a third activist, Alex Chow, a suspended three-week prison sentence.
A three-judge panel on Thursday decided to stiffen those sentences following a prosecution request and send all three to prison. Law was sentenced to eight months, Chow to seven and Wong to six.