A Hong Kong court has sentenced key pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security trial
Benny Tai and Joshua Wong were among the ‘Hong Kong 47 group’ of activists and lawmakers 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 have been jailed for conspiring to attempt subversion, after two people were acquitted in May.
Their trial marked the largest use of the harsh national security law (NSL) which China imposed on Hong Kong shortly after the city’s explosive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Those demonstrations saw hundreds of thousands taking to the streets of Hong Kong for months. Triggered by a proposed government treaty that would have allowed extradition from Hong Kong 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, and allowed China to cement control of the city.
The US has described the trial as “politically motivated”. Australia said it had “strong objections” to the use of the NSL and it was “gravely concerned” by the sentencing of one of its citizens, Gordon Ng.
Beijing and Hong Kong’s government argue that the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy. They also say the convictions serve as a warning against forces 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 “discrediting and undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong.”
The case has attracted huge interest from Hongkongers, dozens of whom queued up outside of the court days before the sentencing to secure a spot in the public gallery.
Standing in line on Tuesday was Lee Yue-shun, one of the two acquitted defendants. 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.
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 were seen tearing up as the sentences, which ranged from four to ten 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”.
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