The U.S. Department of State and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) on Friday condemned the recent sentencing and jailing of multiple Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, calling the charges politically motivated and a reflection of declining rights and freedoms in the city.
A total of nine Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were handed sentences and suspended sentences on Friday for their participation in two “unauthorized” protests in Hong Kong in August 2019. The protests were part of a larger series of mass protests throughout 2019 over a proposed bill that would have let the Chinese regime extradite people from Hong Kong, which is supposed to have autonomy. The bill was withdrawn in September 2019.
