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☆ 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are sentenced to jail in city’s biggest national security trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Jennifer Jett | Jennifer Jett Is The Asia Digital Editor For Nbc News | Based In Hong Kong. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court sentenced dozens of leading pro-democracy figures to up to 10 years prison Tuesday in the single largest trial under a national security law that critics say has been used to all but eliminate political dissent in the Chinese territory. Lawyers for the defendants have argued that such action was within the bounds of Hong Kong law. In March, Hong Kong’s opposition-free legislature also enacted local national security legislation. Among the 47 are “second-tier pan-democrats” who were previously active members of the Hong Kong legislature, Burns said. Hong Kong officials said last month that there was no time limit for prosecuting the cases, noting that it takes time to gather evidence.

Persons: Benny Tai, Tai, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s, Hong, Maya Wang, ”, Tai —, John Burns, Burns, Jimmy Lai, “, Jonathan Sumption, ” Sumption, Kong’s, of Organizations: University of Hong Kong, Hong, Authorities, Human Rights, University of Hong, Apple Daily, Pew Research Center, Financial Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, British, U.S, China, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s

☆ Hong Kong jails 45 democracy activists in landmark national security trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Police stand guard outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building before the sentencing against the 45 convicted pro-democracy activists charged under the national security law, in Hong Kong, China November 19, 2024. Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday jailed 45 pro-democracy activists for up to 10 years following a landmark national security trial that has damaged the city's once feisty democracy movement and drawn criticism from the U.S. and other countries. A total of 47 pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged in 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law and had faced sentences of up to life in prison. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments say the national security laws were necessary to restore order after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, and the democrats have been treated in accordance with local laws. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was "gravely concerned" about the sentence, and called on China to "cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society," in Hong Kong.

Persons: Benny Tai, Gordon Ng, Owen Chow, Penny Wong, Joshua Wong, Chow, Gwyneth Ho, Hendrick Lui, Elsa Wu Organizations: Hong, Authorities, Kowloon Magistrates Locations: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong's, U.S, Beijing

☆ Hong Kong 47: Democracy leaders sentenced to lengthy jail terms in largest national security trial as Beijing tightens grip
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Chris Lau | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Benny Tai, a prominent legal scholar and veteran protest leader, received the longest prison term of 10 years – the toughest sentence to date handed down under the national security law. But since the national security law came into effect in 2020, Hong Kong’s political and legal landscape has been transformed. The administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden was also critical of Bejing’s crackdown in Hong Kong, even as it tried to recalibrate ties with Beijing. John Burns, emeritus professor at the University of Hong Kong, said the cumulative changes have reduced the city’s autonomy and citizens’ participation in politics. “The new regime has restricted human rights in Hong Kong, rights that Hong Kongers used to enjoy.

Persons: Hong Kong’s, Joshua Wong, “, –, Benny Tai, Wong, Gwyneth Ho, Leung Kwok, Claudia Mo, teared, ” –, Chris Lau, Lee Yue, ”, Hong, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Trump, Raphael Wong Ho, John Burns, Hong Kongers, Hong Kong, John Lee –, ” Lee Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, CNN Landmark, Police, Washington, Beijing, CNN, Legislative Council, University of Hong, Authorities, Communist Party Locations: Hong Kong, Kowloon, Beijing, British, China, University of Hong Kong, Hong

☆ 14 pro-democracy activists found guilty of subversion in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jennifer Jett | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court on Thursday found 14 of 16 pro-democracy activists guilty of conspiring to subvert the state in the Chinese territory's single largest case under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing. Of those, 31 pleaded guilty in the hopes of a reduced sentence, while the remaining 16 pleaded not guilty. Hong Kong had had a 100% conviction rate in national security cases, which are prosecuted under rules that diverge from the city's legal norms, including presumption against bail. Almost 300 people have been arrested under the national security law, which came into force in the summer of 2020. The charges stem from an informal primary election held in July 2020 in which more than 600,000 voters selected pro-democracy candidates for a legislative election that was scheduled for that September.

Persons: Lau, Lee Yue, Critics, Eric Yan, Lai, Benny Tai, Claudia Mo, Joshua Wong, Leung Kwok, Raymond Chan, Gwyneth Ho, Hong Kong, Carrie Lam Organizations: Hong, Georgetown Center, Asian Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, Hong

☆ Hong Kong to Rule on Democracy Activists in Largest National Security Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Tiffany May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Hong Kong court will begin issuing verdicts on Thursday in the city’s largest national security trial, as the authorities use sweeping powers imposed by Beijing to quash political dissent in the Chinese territory. Most of the defendants have spent at least the last three years in detention ahead of and during the 118-day trial. On Thursday, judges picked by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader were set to start handing down verdicts on 16 of them who had pleaded not guilty. Those who are convicted will be sentenced later, along with 31 others who had entered guilty pleas. The expected convictions and the sentences to follow would effectively turn the vanguard of the city’s opposition, a hallmark of its once-vibrant political scene, into a generation of political prisoners.

Persons: Benny Tai, Joshua Wong, Hong Kong’s Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing

The Hong Kong and Beijing governments have repeatedly denied the national security law is suppressing freedoms, arguing it has ended chaos and “restored stability” to the city. Since the national security law came into effect in 2020, civil groups have disbanded, and independent media outlets have been shut down. They are the first defendants to be acquitted in a national security law trial in Hong Kong. But that strategy is in doubt after another local national security law enacted earlier this year curtailed access to reduced sentences for guilty pleas. “It’s absolutely clear that the national security law reduced the independence and the autonomy of the judiciary.

Persons: Hong Kong’s, Hong, Gwyneth Ho, Leung Kwok, ”, Lawrence Lau, Lee Yu, –, “, Joshua Wong, Benny Tai, Claudia Mo, Eric Lai, John Burns, Hong Kong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, British, Hong, Hong Kong’s Legislative, Georgetown Center, Asian Law, Communist Party, city’s, University of Hong Locations: Hong Kong, Hong, Beijing, Hong Kong’s, China, University of Hong Kong

Owen Chow Ka-shing, one of the 47 pro-democracy activists charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law, arrives at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building, in Hong Kong, China November 29, 2021. On the first day of closing submissions, one of the handpicked national security judges, Andrew Chan, said a verdict would "tentatively" come in three to four months, with 10 days set aside for closing submissions. Beijing says the national security law brought stability to the city after monthslong pro-democracy protests in 2019. "Communication with the public is much easier, (it's) easy to manipulate those means in order to endanger national security," he added. Thirty-one of the 47 charged have pleaded guilty - which could qualify them for reduced sentences.

Persons: Owen Chow Ka, Lam, Andrew Chan, Hong, Jonathan Man, Man, Gwyneth Ho, Owen Chow, Gordon Ng, Leung Kwok, Helena Wong, Benny Tai, Joshua Wong, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Hong, Thomson Locations: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, United States, Beijing

☆ Hong Kong’s pro-democracy leaders to give final defense as landmark national security trial nears an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Chris Lau | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Those on trial say that plan was simply part of the pluralistic, oppositional politics that has long been permitted in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied the national security law is suppressing freedoms. They hail from multiple generations and a wide political spectrum - from moderate democrats to those who advocate for Hong Kong’s self-determination. Known as “Grandma Wong,” the 67-year-old had been a fixture of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. No national security cases in the city have been heard in front of a jury.

Persons: Hong, ”, Joshua Wong, Benny Tai, Claudia Mo, Alexandra Wong, Grandma Wong, Hong Kong’s, ” Alexandra Wong, Noemi Cassanelli, Gwyneth Ho, Leung Kwok, ISAAC LAWRENCE, John Lee, ” Lee, –, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Prosecutors, Hong, Kowloon Court, CNN, Getty, Communist Party, city’s, Hong Kong’s Legislative Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Hong, Kowloon, Britain, China, AFP, Hong Kong’s

Forty-seven pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong have been accused of a conspiracy to commit subversion in a landmark political case. Benny Tai, 58, was a professor of law at the University of Hong Kong. Pro-democracy primary Pro-democracy candidates held a primary vote ahead of the upcoming Legislative Council election. The 47 defendants helped organize or participated in this event. New election rules announced China announced new rules for Hong Kong elections, limiting candidates to only those deemed loyal to Beijing.

HONG KONG, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Sixteen Hong Kong pro-democracy figures face trial on Monday, more than two years after their arrest, in what some observers say is a landmark case for the city's judicial independence under a national security law imposed by Beijing. Thirteen of those arrested were granted bail in 2021, while the other 34 - including 10 who pleaded not guilty - have been in pre-trial custody on national security grounds. Western governments have criticised the 2020 national security law as a tool to crush dissent in the former British colony. The 31 who pleaded guilty, including former law professor Benny Tai and activist Joshua Wong, will be sentenced after the trial. The case will be heard by three High Court judges designated under the national security law: Andrew Chan, Alex Lee and Johnny Chan.

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