AFP :
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was jailed for 12 months on Friday along with four other veteran democracy activists for helping to lead one of the city’s biggest-ever protests.
Organizers say 1.7 million people — almost one-quarter of Hong Kong’s population — turned out for a huge rally that formed the backbone of demonstrations that wracked the city throughout 2019.
Lai was among nine of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy campaigners found guilty of organizing and participating in the rally.
Many of them have spent decades advocating non-violence in their ultimately fruitless campaign for universal suffrage.
Lai, 73, was sentenced to 12 months in prison while four other campaigners were jailed for between eight and 18 months.
Among the other defendants was Martin Lee, 82, a respected barrister known as the “father of democracy” in Hong Kong, who was once chosen by Beijing to help write the city’s mini-constitution.
They also include Margaret Ng, a 73-year-old barrister, and former opposition lawmaker.
Lee and Ng were also given prison terms, but their sentences were suspended.
Lai was brought to the court from custody, where he was being held after arrest under Beijing’s new national security law.Seven of the defendants who had earlier pleaded not guilty submitted their mitigation on Friday morning.
