A Hong Kong court has begun sentencing key democratic figures to up to 10 years in prison for subversion, following a controversial national security trial.
Benny Tai and Joshua Wong were among the first of the so-called Hong Kong 47 group to be sentenced. Tai was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Wong was sentenced to more than four years for his role in the plan to select opposition candidates for local elections.
In total, 47 activists, opposition deputies and ordinary citizens organized or took part in this plan. Most of them were convicted of conspiracy to attempt subversion.
Their trial marked the largest use of the harsh national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong shortly after explosive pro-democracy protests in the city in 2019.
Observers say this significantly weakens the city's pro-democracy movement and rule of law, and allows China to consolidate its control over the city. The United States called the trial “politically motivated.”
The governments in Beijing and Hong Kong say the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny that it has weakened autonomy. They also say the convictions serve as a warning against forces attempting to undermine China's national security.
The case sparked enormous interest from Hong Kongers, dozens of whom lined up outside the court days earlier to get a place in the public gallery.
