45 sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in Hong Kong national security case

45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are sentenced to jail in city’s biggest national security trial

Time

Hong Kong Jails Dozens of Activists in Landmark National Security Case

USA Today

Hong Kong court sentences 45 pro-democracy activists in landmark security trial

Hong Kong 47: Democracy leaders sentenced to lengthy jail terms in largest national security trial as Beijing tightens grip

Foreign governments criticize Hong Kong’s sentencing of 45 activists. Beijing defends it

Dozens sentenced for up to 10 years in prison in Hong Kong national security case

Independent

Hong Kong jails 45 pro-democracy activists after largest national security trial

Guardian

Activists, professors, legislators: who are the Hong Kong 47?

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.

Of the original 47 defendants, 31 pleaded guilty hoping for lighter sentences, 14 were convicted after contesting the charges, and two were acquitted in the largest single prosecution under the security law.

The case represents the biggest single blow to Hong Kong's political freedoms since Beijing's security law implementation, with over 300 people arrested under the legislation since 2020.

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.

Hong Kong Jails 45 Democracy Activists in Landmark Security Case

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Hong Kong Jails 45 Democracy Activists in Landmark Security Case

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