Prison sentence for Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong

In Hong Kong, protests erupted against legal regulations that would facilitate the extradition of suspects to China, and a group of activists stormed the Legislative Council building.

In the investigation conducted regarding the incident, most of the defendants were found guilty of rioting.

Actor Gregory Wong and 11 others received prison sentences for their roles in the storming of the Legislative Council building.

SENTENCES ANNOUNCED

Wong, 45, who received one of the longest sentences, was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison.

In addition to Wong, activists Ventus Lau were sentenced to approximately 4.5 years and Owen Chow to 5 years in prison in connection with the pro-democracy protests. Two journalists were fined for illegally entering the Legislative Council at the time.

Judge Li Chi-ho stated in his remarks following today's hearing that the storming of the Legislative Council caused not only material damage but also "long-term" social impacts.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

The bill facilitating the extradition of suspects to China was submitted to the parliament in Hong Kong on April 3, 2019, and large-scale mass protests broke out in June while discussions were ongoing in the parliament.

After the months-long protests turned into violent incidents, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam took a step back and announced in July that the bill had been suspended. However, Lam's step back remained insufficient, and the bill was canceled on September 4 after activists continued their demonstrations.

However, as a result of the tension not subsiding on the streets of Hong Kong, the bill was withdrawn on October 23.