Hong Kong Jails 45 Pro-Democracy Activists for Subversion
A Hong Kong court on Tuesday sentenced 45 pro-democracy leaders to prison terms ranging from four years and two months to 10 years under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020....
Facts
- A Hong Kong court on Tuesday sentenced 45 pro-democracy leaders to prison terms ranging from four years and two months to 10 years under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.[1][2]
- The defendants, including former lawmakers, activists, unionists, and journalists, were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion for organizing an unofficial primary election that drew 610K voters in July 2020.[3][4]
- Prosecutors had accused the defendants of conspiring to 'overthrow' the government by forcing the island's leader to resign. However, the activists' attorneys claimed that the call for election was just an exercise of democracy.[5]
- 60-year-old legal scholar Benny Tai received the longest sentence of 10 years, while 28-year-old activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to four years and eight months for his role in the primary election scheme.[6][2]
- The judges ruled that the defendants' plan to win a legislative majority and repeatedly veto the government's budget would have created a constitutional crisis.[1][7]
- Of the original 47 defendants, 31 pleaded guilty, 14 were convicted after contesting the charges, and two were acquitted in the largest single prosecution under the security law.[4][8]
Sources: [1]NBC, [2]Chinadaily.com.cn, [3]CNN, [4]Associated Press, [5]Al Jazeera, [6]New York Times, [7]BBC News and [8]South China Morning Post.
Narratives
- Pro-China narrative, as provided by RTHK. The national security law was necessary to restore stability after violent protests threatened Hong Kong's order in 2019. Not only was the protest illegal but these defendants continued to defy the law thereafter. These sentences reflect proper legal consequences for attempting to paralyze the government through unconstitutional means and distorted facts.
- Anti-China narrative, as provided by Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. This demonstrates how Hong Kong's civil liberties and judicial independence have rapidly deteriorated, turning peaceful political participation into a crime punishable by lengthy imprisonment. The fight for Hong Kong's true history and civic freedoms will continue despite China's attempts to strip democracy from what should be a sovereign island.
