AP

Former Hong Kong lawmaker sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail

Sep 28, 2022, 3:55 PM | Updated: Sep 29, 2022, 3:59 am

FILE - Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, center, argues with pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho...

FILE - Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, center, argues with pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho, left, during a demonstration in Hong Kong Aug. 12, 2019. Hui was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail for criminal contempt after he skipped bail and fled overseas, missing trial for cases against him. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

HONG KONG (AP) — Former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Ted Hui was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail for criminal contempt after he skipped bail and fled overseas, missing trial for cases against him.

Hui was facing charges for his role in an anti-government protest in 2019 when he left Hong Kong in December 2020. He provided what have since been deemed “false documents” as part of his application to lift travel restrictions: invitation letters and an itinerary for an official trip to Denmark.

Hui was granted approval to leave. However, he did not return to Hong Kong and eventually settled in Australia.

Hui’s sentencing comes amid a crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong after months of anti-government protests in 2019.

Authorities have arrested dozens of pro-democracy activists and many of the city’s most outspoken activists have either been jailed or fled abroad.

In a written judgment, High Court Judge Andrew Chan said that Hui had “carefully orchestrated” the deception, and that his actions “made a mockery of the criminal justice system.”

Hui was sentenced in absentia to 3 1/2 years of prison as he had shown “no remorse” for his actions.

In a Facebook post Thursday, Hui reacted to the sentencing with “dismissive derision” and described Thursday’s ruling as “barking at the moon.”

“I will continue to openly flout the unjust laws imposed by the Hong Kong Communist Party’s court system, as I stand resolute in my fight for Hong Kongers’ freedom until the end,” he wrote.

While in Hong Kong, Hui had been an outspoken pro-democracy lawmaker. He was also known for disrupting a legislative session after he threw a rotten plant in the chamber to stop a debate of the national anthem bill. He was subsequently fined 52,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,600) for the act.

Hui is also wanted by authorities for allegedly inciting others to cast blank votes at the 2021 legislative election.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

1 day ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

1 day ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

1 day ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Former Hong Kong lawmaker sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail