Former Hong Kong law student gets nearly 3 years after riot acquittal overturned

Alice Tong Ka-yan, a 27-year-old former law student, has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for rioting during the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong. A judge overturned her previous acquittal, finding her guilty based on what was described as "overwhelming" circumstantial evidence. The sentencing took place at the District Court on Wednesday. Tong's lawyers argued in mitigation that she was influenced by peers and the social atmosphere at the time. The judge stated the sentence was the most lenient possible for a defendant who pleaded not guilty to rioting involving serious violence.