Hong Kong localist Edward Leung is seeking to appeal his conviction and jail sentence, according to the Department of Justice. Leung was sentenced to six years in jail earlier this month for his involvement in the 2016 Mong Kok unrest.
The Department of Justice told HKFP that Leung has applied to appeal against both his conviction and sentence for rioting.
The Mong Kok unrest took place over Lunar New Year in 2016 when authorities attempted to clear street hawkers in Mong Kok. Leung faced three charges of rioting and one charge of assaulting a police officer. He pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and was convicted of one charge of rioting.
Leung also faces a retrial over a rioting charge where the jury failed to return a valid verdict. The case will head to pre-trial review mid-July, with another hearing date scheduled for November.
In an online statement made before his sentencing, Leung vowed to “learn from the lessons today and continue to fight for the next generation.”
Speaking to the social commentator and columnist Joseph Lian Yizheng earlier this month, Leung also said he hoped the jail sentence will convince Hongkongers that his actions during the riot were not undertaken for personal political gain.
