Hong Kong jails 45 pro-democracy campaigners for subversion

A Hong Kong court has sentenced dozens of pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security trial.

Benny Tai, 60, and Joshua Wong, 28, were among the so-called Hong Kong 47 group of activists and lawmakers who were involved in a plan to pick opposition candidates for local elections.

Tai received 10 years while Wong received more than four years. A total of 45 people were jailed for conspiring to commit subversion. Two of the defendants were acquitted in May.

This was the biggest trial under the national security law (NSL) which China imposed on the city shortly after explosive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in a months-long standoff against Beijing. Triggered by a proposed government treaty that would have allowed extradition to mainland China, the protests quickly grew to reflect wider demands for democratic reform.

Observers say the NSL and the trial's outcome have significantly weakened the city’s pro-democracy movement and rule of law, allowing China to cement its control of the former British colony.

Beijing and Hong Kong’s government deny this, arguing instead that the NSL is necessary to maintain stability. They also say these sentences serve as a warning for those trying to undermine China’s national security.

"No one can engage in illegal activities in the name of democracy and attempt to escape justice," China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. It also said that it was "firmly opposed" to Western countries "undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong".

'Their families are devastated'

The city's pro-democracy campaigners reacted to the sentences with disappointment and sadness.

"We are very distressed and their families are devastated," Emily Lau, former chair of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, told the BBC's Today programme.

She added that she and many others were not able to enter the courtroom because it was full. Tuesday's hearing attracted huge interest from Hongkongers, dozens of whom queued up outside days before to secure a spot in the public gallery.

Many of the 45 people on trial were icons of Hong Kong's protest movement. Tai, a law professor, shot to fame as a key leader back in 2014, Wong was still a teenager when he took to activism, and Gwyneth Ho, a young former journalist, was admitted to hospital after a mob attack during the 2019 protests.

Veteran former lawmakers such as Claudia Mo and Leung Kwok-hung, also known as Long Hair, spent much of their careers fighting for a freer Hong Kong, and first-time activists such as Owen Chou and Tiffany Yuen stormed the legislative council in what was a defining moment for the protests.

All of them were in court in a rare public appearance as many have been in jail since their arrest in early 2021 because pre-trial detention is common under the NSL.

Standing in line on Tuesday was Lee Yue-shun, one of the two defendants acquitted. He told reporters he wanted to urge Hongkongers to "raise questions" about the case, as "everyone has a chance to be affected" by its outcome.

There were several activists waiting to enter court. Bobo Lam, who was once arrested under the NSL, said he was showing up to support friends who are now in jail and "let them know, that there are still many HongKongers who haven't forgotten them". Others seemed heartened by how many people had showed up, suggesting they "remember what happened".

An elderly woman, Regina Fung, chanted "everybody hang in there, stand for Hong Kong" before the hearing. "It's very sad, even the weather in Hong Kong is miserable today," she said.

Inside the courtroom, family members and friends waved from the public gallery to the defendants, who appeared calm as they sat in the dock. Some in the gallery had tears in their eyes as the sentences, ranging from four to 10 years, were read out.

Tai, a former law professor who came up with the plan for the unofficial primary, received the longest sentence with judges saying he had "advocated for a revolution".

Wong had his sentence reduced by a third after he pleaded guilty. But unlike some other defendants, he was not given further reductions as judges "did not consider him to be a person of good character". At the time of the arrests, Wong was already in jail for participating in protests.

In court, Wong shouted "I love Hong Kong" before he left the dock.

As Leung's wife, activist Chan Po-ying, walked out of the court at the end of the hearing, she was heard chanting a protest against his jail term.

Source: BBC