And Hong Kong court sentenced to prison this Tuesday the 45 defendants found guilty in the largest trial held under the national security law imposed by the Beijing regime in 2020.
The most severe sentence, 10 years, was for Benny Tai, identified as the “brains” behind the initiative that sought to obtain a pro-democratic majority in the legislative council. This sentence is the harshest recorded to date under the controversial legislation that has been criticized internationally for stifling dissent in the region.
In a ruling posted online, the judges stated that Tai, who had previously written an article titled “Ten steps towards mutual destruction”, “advocated a revolution” by outlining a strategy that, according to him, was not intended to be implemented.
The group, which includes figures representing Hong Kong’s pro-democracy political spectrum, was accused of subversion for organizing an informal primary election in 2020. This exercise aimed to select the candidates most likely to win and force concessions from the government, such as the establishment of universal suffrage.
In addition to Benny Tai, other notable organizers such as Oh Nok-hin, Andrew Chiu, Ben Chung and the Australian citizen Gordon Ng received sentences of up to seven years and three months. Australia expressed “serious concern” about the convictions of its citizens.
Among the longest sentences, the one of Owen Chowa young activist sentenced to seven years and nine months for taking a “more proactive role in the scheme,” according to the court.
For its part, Leung Kwok-hungknown as “Long Hair” and co-founder of the last active political opposition in Hong Kong, the League of Social Democrats (LSD)was sentenced to six years and nine months.
Of the original 47 defendants, 31 pleaded guilty, while the other 16 faced a 118-day trial last year. Of these, 14 were convicted in May, and 2 were acquitted.
Many had already spent more than three and a half years in detention before being sentenced. While some expressed regret in their statements seeking a reduced sentence, others remained defiant in court, resisting what they see as a criminalization of their efforts to promote democracy.
The sentencing was witnessed by dozens of supporters who braved the rain to line up early in the morning. Among them, “Grandpa Wong”, approximately 100 years old, expressed fear of not being able to see the activists again after serving their long sentences. Another assistant, Wei Siu-likfriend of the condemned Clarisse Yeungarrived at 4:00 am despite a leg injury, ensuring that his presence was to show support.
The sentence has been qualified by Leticia Wongformer district counselor, as a message for the accused “to plead guilty and testify against their colleagues.” Wong reported that those who “refused to be domesticated” received harsher punishments.
Chan Po-yingLSD leader and Leung’s wife, said the sentences were expected, while criticizing the lack of guarantees for political freedom in Hong Kong.
The sentences have been harshly criticized by Western countries and human rights organizations, which consider them a sign of the growing authoritarianism in Hong Kong after the imposition of the national security law.
According to Anna Kwokdirector of Hong Kong Democracy Council In Washington, this judicial process is “an attack on the essence of Hong Kong: freedom, democracy and political expression.”
In their verdict, the judges, selected directly by the regime to handle national security cases, highlighted that efforts to carry out the primary involved a great deal of time, resources and money, dismissing claims that the plan was unviable.
For their part, China and the local government justified the measures, claiming that the law has “restored order” after the 2019 protests. In addition, they described any foreign “interference” in Hong Kong affairs as unacceptable.
The primary election, which attracted participation from 610,000 voterssought to select candidates from the pro-democracy bloc to compete in the official elections, but the authorities accused the organizers of conspiring to paralyze the government and provoke a constitutional crisis by blocking government budgets. According to the court, this plan amounted to a subversion against the established regime.
(With information from AFP and The Associated Press)
