Hong Kong activists Ivan Lam Long-yin (second in line) and Joshua Wong Chi-fung (first in line) board a prison van at Lai Chi Kok Reception Center in Hong Kong on Dec 2, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - A Hong Kong court sentenced separatist Joshua Wong Chi-fung to 13.5 months in jail on Wednesday for organizing and inciting an unlawful assembly near the Police Headquarters in Wan Chai in June last year.

On passing down the sentence, Magistrate Wong Sze-lai of West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts said that immediate imprisonment is “the only appropriate sentencing option”

Wong’s longtime activist colleague Agnes Chow Ting was sentenced to 10 months in prison for inciting and participating in the same protest. A third defendant, Ivan Lam Long-yin, was imprisoned for seven months for one offense of incitement.

On passing down the sentence, Magistrate Wong Sze-lai of West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts said that immediate imprisonment is “the only appropriate sentencing option”.

The court’s decision, also an open condemnation and a deterrent, should make it clear to the public that unlawful activities are not allowed to disrupt public order, according to the judge.

READ MORE: Joshua Wong pleads guilty to illegal assembly, in custody

A prison van carrying separatists Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Agnes Chow Ting leaves West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Dec 2, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG/CHINA DAILY)

On June 21, 2019, the trio incited more than 400 protesters to gather in Admiralty to march toward Wan Chai where the Police Headquarters is located. As many as 9,000 people surrounded the headquarters at one stage, causing 61 emergency calls from local residents to go unanswered and six police officers trapped in a police van for three hours.

According to the court, the large-scale unlawful assembly lasted for 15 hours.

Magistrate Wong said that the trio’s illegal actions had caused a huge impact as they breached public order, threatened personal safety, congested traffic, wasted police resources, damaged public property and hindered public service.