FILE - Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong stands outside the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong on Nov. 28, 2019. Wong asked for a lesser sentence in court Friday, July 5, 2024 after he earlier pleaded guilty in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case. . The activists were accused of attempting to paralyze Hong Kong’s government and topple the city’s leader by aiming to win a legislative majority and using it to block city budgets indiscriminately.by the court.
Wong’s lawyer Marco Li said his client should be considered an “active participant” because he neither organized nor assisted in the unofficial primary. The security law calls for active participants to face a jail term of between three to 10 years.A US officiant marries 10 same-sex couples in Hong Kong via video chatLi said Wong hoped that he could part with his past history and would be able to reform himself after serving his sentence.
In the 2019 leaderless movement, Wong helped drum up overseas support for the protests. His activism resulted in Beijing calling him as an advocate of Hong Kong independence who had “begged for interference” from foreign forces. The mitigation hearings for the 45 convicted defendants are expected to continue until early August and sentencing will come at a later date.