Occupy Leaders Bailed Before April 24 Sentencing

The judge in the trial of nine Occupy leaders found guilty of public nuisance charges said on Wednesday that they will be sentenced on April 24 and can remain free on bail until then.

Earlier, lawyers for the nine completed their mitigation submissions.

Senior Counsel Wong Ching-yu urged District Court judge Johnny Chan to give Civic Party legislator Tanya Chan a community service order or suspended prison sentence, noting she could be removed from Legco if she were jailed for a month or more.

The barrister added that the legislator only asked people to join the Occupy protests of 2014 because of “her strong belief in universal suffrage”.

Meanwhile, the lawyer for former student leader Tommy Cheung said his client was only 20 years old when he took part in the demonstrations. Senior Counsel Hectar Pun said Cheung’s young age should be a powerful mitigating factor, and that a custodial sentence should be a “last resort”.

But another former student leader, Eason Chung, said he would not seek a community service order.

Addressing the judge from the dock, Chung said what the court should be aware of is not his personal background or the reasons why he took part in the protests, but why so many Hong Kong people came out to fight for democracy.

League of Social Democrats activist Raphael Wong, meanwhile, said he did not regret participating in the movement, calling it an "honour of a lifetime".

He said he will not ask the court for leniency, but urged the judge to spare another defendant in the case, 75-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming.

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Wing-Tat said he took pride in his participation in the demonstration, and that being one of the leaders of the Occupy protests was the most honourable moment of his life. His lawyer said because of Lee’s “dignified and steadfast” stance, he would not ask for any particular sentence.

Lawyers for the other four defendants, Chu, lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun, law professor Benny Tai and sociology professor Chan Kin-man had submitted their mitigation pleas on Tuesday. Tai and Chan Kin-man had also urged the court to spare Chu a prison sentence.