Hong Kong’s top court upholds convictions of 7 prominent pro-democracy activists over 2019 protest
The HinduHong Kong's top court on Monday upheld the convictions of seven of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy activists over their roles in one of the biggest anti-government protests in 2019. The defendants previously argued that the trial judge had failed to conduct an “operational proportionality” assessment when convicting them and quoted two non-binding decisions set out by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The convictions were linked to their involvement in a rally in August 2019 that drew an estimated 1.7 million people onto Hong Kong’s streets to call for greater police accountability and democracy. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments said the security law was necessary to bring back stability to the city following the protests.