9 found guilty of rioting in massive HK unrest

Nine people were convicted of rioting during Hong Kong's Mong Kok riot on Lunar New Year's Eve in 2016, in which 130 people were injured, including 90 police officers.

All the guilty have been remanded into custody.

Magistrate Kwok Wai-kin adjourned sentencing to May 23, in order to obtain reports from training center, detention center and community services authorities.

Among the 11 defendants, whose ages ranged from 18 to 71, one absconded to Taiwan, and another defendant pleaded guilty and was released on bail till sentencing. The remaining nine defendants, who pleaded not guilty, were convicted of the offence of rioting.

According to Hong Kong's laws, rioting carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

The Mong Kok unrest saw hundreds of masked protesters hurl bricks pried from the pavement and set fires in rubbish bins on the roadside. About 70 people were arrested in relation to the disturbances.