Overview

• Jackie Chen, a social worker involved in Hong Kong's 2019 pro-democracy protests, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for rioting after a retrial overturned her earlier acquittal.
• Judge May Chung rejected Chen's claims of acting as a mediator, citing her use of a loudspeaker to shout accusations against police as evidence of incitement.
• Three other defendants, who were also acquitted in 2020, received prison sentences of two years and five months after pleading guilty at their retrial.
• Chen's conviction risks her losing her social worker license under recent legal amendments allowing professional disqualification for criminal convictions.
• The case exemplifies Hong Kong's stricter legal approach to protest-related activities, underscoring broader efforts to deter dissent since the 2019 unrest.