Joshua Wong: Occupy Court Not Following CFA's Line

Student leader Joshua Wong says a judge should have taken into account the civil disobedience motives of nine leaders of the Occupy movement who were found guilty of public nuisance offences on Tuesday.

Speaking on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme on Wednesday, Wong also said it was inappropriate for Judge Johnny Chan to say the nine were naive in believing their actions could lead to universal suffrage.

"The Court of Final Appeal recognised the intention of civil disobedience," said Wong, referring to the top court's findings in a case against himself and fellow activists Nathan Law and Alex Chow over the storming of Civic Square in 2014.

"It should be part of the criteria for the judge to consider when he or she needs to hand down a judgement. Unfortunately, according to the judgement handed down yesterday, it just claimed civil disobedience is not in their consideration. So how come the District Court does not follow the principle of the Court of Final Appeal?"

Meanwhile the District Court was due to continue hearing mitigation from the defendants on Wednesday morning.