45 Pro-Democracy People Sentenced to Up to 10 Years in Prison in Hong Kong

In the conclusion of a landmark national security case concluded on Tuesday, the Hong Kong High Court sentenced 45 pro-democracy figures to prison. up to ten years imprisonment. Forty-seven democratic politicians, activists and organizers arrested and in January 2021, he was charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law. The charges related to their participation in organizing an unofficial primary election in 2020 ahead of parliamentary elections. In February 2023, trial started. In May this year, the court Conviction was given to 14 defendants While two more people objected to the charges and were acquitted, 31 more people pleaded guilty. Most of the defendants have been detained without bail for nearly four years. Due to the entry into force of Article 23 of the National Security Regulation, most of them Early release is no longer allowed for good behavior. The case was overseen by three national security judges handpicked by the government, in a departure from the tradition of trials by jury under Hong Kong’s common law system.

More than 300 members of the public braved the rain to support the defendants outside court, but only five seats were reserved for supporters in the courtroom. The mother of Hendrick Lui, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, on the courthouse steps. waved a sign “The righteous shall live and the wicked shall perish,” was written on it before being put into a police van. Activist Joshua Wong shouted in the courtroom:I love Hong Kong!While he was being removed from the dock after being sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. According to the news of Tiffany May from The New York Times The solemn scene in the courtroom and the significance of the trial for Hong Kong:

The sentences were the final step in a crackdown that cut at the heart of the city’s democracy movement and turned its leaders into a generation of political prisoners. These included experienced politicians, former journalists and young activists who called for Hong Kong’s self-determination.

On Tuesday, 45 defendants sat shoulder to shoulder in a courtroom that had to be created to accommodate them, behind a glass partition and on long benches flanked by police officers. A judge read their sentences aloud, referring to them by their numbers on the list, not by their names. The hearing ended in half an hour.

It was the strongest indication of the strength of the national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in response to months of massive protests against Chinese rule in 2019. (Source)

Hong Kong Security Minister Chris Tang said the government could consider “whether to appeal to the court.” seek longer prison sentences” for some people. The Hong Kong Free Press has compiled a list of all of them. defendants and the length of their sentences:

Gwyneth Ho, who pleaded not guilty and did not seek commutation after being sentenced to seven years in prison, published a statement on Facebook describing the investigation against her as emblematic of Hong Kong’s broader struggle for democracy. He also explained how his fighting courage stemmed from the determination of countless political prisoners From people around the world whose governments have tried in vain to silence them:

17. The narrative put forward by the prosecution is not a mere distortion of the facts or a threat to the wider public. The issue goes much deeper; They force the defendant to deny their lived experiences. This real solidarity was just an illusion. The bonds, unity, and honest conversations between such different but connected people cannot be real after all. That the elusive co-construction of a collective united across differences with a common vision for a better future is just a utopian dream.

18. But no. These are not just idealistic dreams, they are the realities I live. I choose to fight to prove that such connections are not only possible, but actually have been and continue to be experienced. The only misconception here is the belief that brutal oppression can deny their existence.

19. This is not a liability or moral obligation. A strong urge to do justice to what I have witnessed and experienced, because it forms a part of me and defines who I am. And now I will define who I am.

(…) 27. That feeling again. Like looking into the determined eyes of a complete stranger through a blurry gas mask, or walking towards the light alongside someone else through thick, disturbing smoke. I came all this way looking for him. The human connection that can only be achieved through collective acts of courage between individuals who dare to follow their true selves. Because to dare is to lose ground for a moment, yes, but not to dare is to lose yourself. (Source)

The sentence was followed by widespread condemnation. Chan Po-ying, head of the League of Social Democrats, told reporters outside the courtroom: “My only thought is that this is a miscarriage of justice and said that they (democrats) should not be detained even for a day.” Maya Wang, deputy China director at Human Rights Watch, said: “Taking part in the election and trying to win it it’s a crime now this could lead to a ten-year prison sentence in Hong Kong. “Today’s harsh sentences against dozens of prominent democracy activists reflect how rapidly Hong Kong’s civil liberties and judicial independence have fallen in the past four years since the Chinese government imposed the draconian National Security Law on the city.”

Sarah Brooks of Amnesty International said: “These harsh sentences The dire state of Hong Kong’s justice system. None of the 45 people sentenced had committed an internationally recognized crime; They were imprisoned simply for exercising their human rights.” Eric Lai, a research fellow at the Georgetown Asian Law Center, said: “Courts now rarely depart from the government narrative. became judges works to advance the government’s line“They use their definition of pro-democracy protest based on the strategies of (opposition) democrats rather than focusing on the protection of rights and freedoms.” over 50 members of parliament Around the world condemned the punishment. Compiled by Kanis Leung from Reuters Criticism of penalties from multiple foreign governments:

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said her government was “gravely concerned” by the sentences handed down to Australian citizen Gordon Ng and other activists. Wong said Australia had expressed strong objections to Chinese and Hong Kong authorities over the continued widespread application of its national security legislation.

(…European Union) stated in its statement that it is deeply concerned about the politically motivated prosecution of the defendants due to their peaceful political activities. He said such activities should be legitimate in any political system that respects basic democratic principles.

(…) He said the sentence “not only negates the promises of ’50 years unchanged’ and ‘high degree of autonomy,’ but also proves that ‘one country, two systems’ is not possible” (Taiwan presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo) in a statement .

(…) The US Consulate in Hong Kong said the US strongly condemned the sentences, saying the defendants were aggressively prosecuted and imprisoned for participating in normal political activities protected under the city’s mini-constitution. (Source)

on wednesday, National security case of Hong Kong broadcaster and politician Jimmy Lai It is scheduled to restart after being postponed for four months. Lai has so far spent four years in solitary confinement and faces a life sentence. These cases this week show that the government is weaponizing the justice system to silence dissent. On Tuesday, Hong Kong Watch published a report highlighting this point. report “In the Name of National Security: How Hong Kong’s National Security Laws Dismantle the Rule of Law in Comparative Perspective,” comparing the city’s national security laws with similar laws in China, Russia, and Malaysia. article titled.