Hong Kong Court Finds 14 Activists Guilty of Subversion Under National Security Law
In a landmark trial in Hong Kong, a court has delivered guilty verdicts against 14 out of 16 activists and politicians charged with subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The judges handling cases under the 2020 security law, which does not allow jury trials, explained their decision in a detailed 319-page document posted online. Among the defendants were prominent supporters of democracy who were part of an unofficial 2020 primary to select candidates for the Legislative Council election. Many of the accused had been in custody since their arrest in January 2021. Two defendants were acquitted, while the rest pleaded guilty. The prosecution alleged that the group aimed to use their positions in the legislative council to destabilize Hong Kong's political landscape. The judges supported the prosecution's argument, indicating that the alleged plan could have led to political instability and a constitutional crisis. Reacting to the verdict, human rights organizations criticized the ruling, with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International denouncing the use of the security law to suppress dissent. The sentencing phase is next, where the court will consider the severity of each defendant's actions. The possibility of life imprisonment looms over those deemed primary offenders, while lower-level participants could face shorter sentences. The trial comes in the wake of the 2019 mass protests that spurred the imposition of the national security law by Beijing. The trial's outcome reflects the ongoing tension between pro-democracy activists and Chinese authorities in Hong Kong.
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