45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are sentenced to jail in city’s biggest national security trial
NBCNOV 20 2024
The defendants, including former lawmakers, activists, and academics, were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion for organizing an unofficial primary election that drew 610,000 voters in July 2020.
Legal scholar Benny Tai received the longest sentence of 10 years, while prominent activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months for their roles in the primary election scheme.
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.
The harsh sentences demonstrate how Hong Kong's civil liberties and judicial independence have rapidly deteriorated, turning peaceful political participation into a crime punishable by lengthy imprisonment.