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☆ 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 jails 12 people over the storming of the legislature in 2019
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Sarita Harilela | Sophie Jeong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —A Hong Kong court on Saturday sentenced 12 people to between 54 and 82 months in prison over the storming of the city’s legislature council building during a pro-democracy protest in 2019, the city’s public broadcaster RTHK said. RTHK said the defendants were convicted of rioting on July 1, 2019, when a large group of protesters smashed through glass doors and stormed Hong Kong’s legislative council building after weeks of mass demonstrations. Deputy District Court judge Li Chi-ho said the storming of the building represented a challenge to the Hong Kong government and had long-lasting effects on the city, according to RTHK. Two reporters who were previously acquitted of rioting were fined 1,500 Hong Kong dollars ($192) and 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($128) for entering the legislature, according to RTHK. This is a developing story and will be updated.

Persons: Li Chi, Gregory Wong, Ventus Lau, Owen Chow Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, RTHK, Hong Locations: Hong Kong, Hong

☆ Hong Kong Court Convicts Four for Rioting After 2019 Legislature Storming
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Hundreds of protesters stormed Hong Kong's Legislative Council building on July 1, 2019, after a protest march against a proposed extradition bill that would have allowed authorities to send individuals to mainland China for trial. District Court Judge Li Chi-ho found four people including Ho Chun-yin, actor Gregory Wong, Ng Chi-yung and Lam Kam-kwan guilty of rioting. During the trial, Gregory Wong told the court he entered the legislative council solely to deliver two chargers to reporters who were covering the break-in by protesters. Three Hong Kong police officers met him in Shenzhen and said he had to cooperate or else he would not be able to return to Hong Kong. Hong Kong's district court sets a maximum of seven years in prison for rioting.

Persons: Jessie Pang, Edward Cho HONG, Li Chi, Ho Chun, Gregory Wong, Ng Chi, Lam Kam, kwan, Lam, Wong Ka, Ma Kai, Wong, Althea Suen, Ventus Lau, Owen Chow, Edward Cho, Farah Master, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Hong, Legislative, Hong Kong, Hong Kong . Police, University of Hong Locations: Edward Cho HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, Legco, Shenzhen, Hong Kong's

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

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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