Oct. 23 (UPI) — A pair of Occupy protest student leaders in China were released on bail after being jailed for unlawful assembly.
Hong Kong Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma released Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Nathan Law Kwun-chung on bail of Hong Kong $50,000 ($6,409 USD) until Nov. 7 when they will attend a hearing regarding their sentencing.
Upon release they will be required to report to police weekly and won’t be allowed to leave Hong Kong after turning in their passports.
The pair were arrested along with Alex Chow Yong-kang, 27, after they attempted to reclaim Hong Kong’s Civic Square protest location as part of the Occupy Central in 2014.
Wong, 21, was sentenced to six months and Law, 24, was sentenced to eight months in August.
Wong was sent to the low-security Tung Tau Correctional Institution, while Law was sent to medium-security Tong Fuk Correctional Institution on Lantau Island.
Justice Ma said the pair’s appeal against their jail sentences was “not an entirely hopeless application,” adding the case should be heard as soon as possible.
Chow is serving his term at low-security Pik Uk Prison near Sai Kung and didn’t apply for bail.
Prosecutors did not object to the pair’s release on bail and Ma said it was unlikely they would attempt to flee.
Wong’s father and Law’s mother paid the pair’s bail and both are required to stay at their residences upon their release.
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