On Friday, twenty-two members of the so-called Sunflower Movement were acquitted [text, in Chinese] of charges related [Taiwan News report] to their 2014 occupation of the Legislative Yuan. The activists were protesting plans to pass a trade deal with China. The protesters entered the Legislative Yuan on March 18 of 2014 and stayed until April 10. The protesters acquitted include Tsay Ting-kuei, the head of the Free Taiwan Party, and Huang Kuo-chang, the New Power Party Chairman. They were originally charged with obstruction of official business and inciting others to commit a crime. Charges against 126 protesters were dropped last year. A decision on another 6 protesters is expected on April 10.

In February 2015, Amnesty International had urged [JURIST report] Taiwan to drop criminal charges against the protesters. The rights of protesters has been a concern in many countries throughout the world. In January 2016, many human rights groups called [JURIST report] for Ethiopia to address the killing of 140 protesters. In September 2015, UN human rights experts urged [JURIST report] Saudi Arabia to block the execution of an individual who was convicted of protesting when he was 17. In February 2015 an Egyptian court sentenced 230 protesters [JURIST report] to life in prison, finding them guilty of taking part in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Cairo in December 2011.