Four leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests have been sentenced to eight to 16 months’ imprisonment, on conviction of “public nuisance” related charges for “obstructing public places and roads” during the protests. They are prisoners of conscience imprisoned solely for peacefully advocating for democracy in Hong Kong. Their imprisonment sets a precedent that government could use vague and ambiguous charges for blanket prosecution and imprisonment of peaceful protesters, exacerbating the chilling effect on freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in Hong Kong.
