Hong Kong: Mass sentencing of opposition figures highlights dire state of justice system

November 21, 2024

Responding to sentences of up to 10 years in prison for 45 Hong Kong dissidents convicted of “conspiring to subvert state power” under the city’s National Security Law, Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s China Director, said:

“No one convicted in this politically motivated case should spend a day in jail; Let alone confronting the long sentences given these days.

Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International China Director

“No one convicted in this politically motivated case should spend a day in jail; Let alone confronting the long sentences given these days.

“Months ago we called these convictions a ‘brutal purge’ of the opposition, and today this has been confirmed. These sentences, despite motions for mitigation and respect for due process, are clearly intended to punish opponents of the Hong Kong government and intimidate others who might dare to follow them.

“These harsh sentences highlight 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. “We call once again for their immediate and unconditional release.”

Background

In Hong Kong’s largest investigation under the National Security Law, which came into effect in June 2020, 47 defendants were jointly charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion”.

Of the 47, 31 pleaded guilty to the charge, while 16 pleaded not guilty; two of them were acquitted.

The charges relate to their organization and participation in self-organized “primaries” for the 2020 Legislative Council elections, which were postponed by the authorities on Covid-19 grounds, before the Chinese government introduced a new electoral system that tightly controls who can run for office. .

At the time, the city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, said the “primaries” were illegal and warned they could violate the National Security Law, which took effect only a few weeks ago.

Treating self-organized “primaries” conducted by political parties to select candidates to stand for election as a genuine threat to the existence, territorial integrity or political independence of Hong Kong does not meet the high threshold of “national security” recourse accepted by international people. Rights require standards.

Hong Kong’s human rights situation has worsened dramatically since 2020. about 300 people He was arrested for violating the National Security Act, or colonial-era “sedition” law. The so-called Article 23 law, introduced at the beginning of this year, has further deepened the repression and silenced dissenting voices in the city.