A Hong Kong court has sentenced prominent pro-democracy leaders to significant prison terms for subversion following a contentious national security trial. Activists Benny Tai and Joshua Wong, part of the so-called Hong Kong 47 group, faced sentencing after being involved in a scheme to select opposition candidates for local elections. Tai received a 10-year sentence, while Wong was sentenced to more than four years.
The total of 47 activists, including lawmakers and ordinary citizens, were charged for organizing or participating in the plan. Most were convicted of conspiring to commit subversion, although two individuals were acquitted. This trial is notable for being the largest application of the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong after the pro-democracy protests in 2019, raising concerns about the weakening of the city’s pro-democracy movement and rule of law. The United States has labeled the trial as “politically motivated.”
Both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments argue that the law is vital to maintain stability and deny any erosion of the region’s autonomy. They contend that the convictions serve as a deterrent against those attempting to undermine national security.
The trial has garnered significant public interest, with many Hongkongers queuing outside the court days in advance to secure seats in the public gallery.
In 2020, hundreds of thousands of residents participated in an unofficial primary aimed at increasing the opposition’s chances in the Legislative Council election against the pro-Beijing government. Pro-democracy activists defended their actions as legal; however, officials accused them of seeking to “overthrow” the government. The judges agreed with prosecutors that the plan could have created a constitutional crisis.
On Tuesday, the court handed down sentences ranging from four to ten years. Tai, a former law professor who initiated the plan for the unofficial primary, received the longest sentence. Other notable figures convicted include Gwyneth Ho, a former journalist turned politician, and former lawmakers Claudia Mo and Leung Kwok-hung, each receiving sentences between four to seven years.
Credit: BBC News
