In the largest trial to date against the democratic opposition in Hong Kong, the sentence against 45 pro-democracy activists has been announced. The law lecturer Tai was sentenced to ten years in prison as an organizer.
A court in Hong Kong has sentenced 45 democracy activists to prison terms of up to ten years. This was announced by the judges in the Chinese special administrative region. The trial against the “Hong Kong 47” group was the largest to date for alleged violations of the “National Security Law.”
The group of opposition members was indicted more than three years ago. The trial lasted from February to December 2023, and the sentence was now announced.
Benny Tai and Joshua Wong also convicted
The 47 include former parliamentarians, scientists and activists. Among them are former student leader Joshua Wong, who received four years and eight months, and law lecturer Benny Tai, whom the court sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tai was designated by the court as an organizer and apparently therefore received the highest sentence.
Wong and 30 other defendants pleaded guilty. At the end of May this year, the judges found 14 of the remaining 16 defendants guilty and only two were acquitted.
Courthouse extensively cordoned off
The “Hong Kong 47” were accused of organizing illegal primaries before the 2020 Legislative Council election – which was later canceled due to the corona pandemic. They were charged with “conspiracy to overthrow” under the Beijing government’s “National Security Law.” In the worst case scenario, they could have received a life sentence.
The trial was accompanied by a large police presence, and numerous people gathered in front of the courthouse to show their support for the defendants. Diplomats from Germany, the EU and other countries were among those waiting. The police cordoned off the area around the building.
China's Central government defends the process
The case caused a great stir and was sometimes sharply criticized internationally. Today's verdicts show how quickly civil liberties and judicial independence have plummeted in Hong Kong since the Chinese central government's “national security law,” said human rights organization Human Rights Watch.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry once again supported the Hong Kong judges' decision. Beijing supports the lawful punishment of acts that endanger national security, said ministry spokesman Lin Jian. The central government also rejects Western states using judicial cases to interfere in China's internal affairs.
