AKIPRESS.COM - Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong scored a substantial legal victory Tuesday, as the city's top court threw out the prison sentences handed to him and two other leaders of the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, CNN reported.

In August, Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow were sentenced to between six and eight months in prison for public order offenses stemming from the protests, which shut down parts of the city for several months.

They were originally given community service and suspended sentences, but an appeals court controversially upgraded that to prison time. Tuesday's decision quashes their prison sentences and reinstates the initial ruling.

While the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) endorsed a higher standard for public order offenses put forward by the Court of Appeal, it said the judges were wrong to apply that standard retroactively to Wong, Law and Chow's case.

However, the city's top court warned that in future, public order offenses, even those stemming from civil disobedience, would be dealt with strictly and could result in prison terms.

Nor is Tuesday's win the end for Wong. He's currently out on bail appealing a separate conviction, for contempt of court, also stemming from the 2014 protests.

"I would not say this is a win and there is no reason for us to celebrate. What we are up against is the court taking a very narrow definition of non-violent civil disobedience actions," said Wong.

"The road ahead is still very difficult."