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Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.
Hong Kong imprisons pro-democracy activists in landmark national security case
by William Yang
Taipei, Taiwan --
Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists
to up to 10 years in jail under subversion charges, marking an end to
the largest national security case in Hong Kong under a sweeping law
imposed by Beijing.
The defendants were accused of conspiracy to commit subversion for
taking part in an unofficial primary election aimed at selecting
opposition candidates to run in the 2020 legislative council election.
Authorities said the activists were planning to paralyze the Hong Kong
government and force the city's leader to resign by aiming to win a
legislative majority and use that to block government budgets.
The 45 defendants were given prison sentences between four years and
two months, and 10 years. Legal scholar Benny Tai, viewed as the
mastermind of the primary election by the government, received the
longest sentence.
In addition to Tai, other prominent activists involved in the case were
also given lengthy prison sentences. Journalist-turned-activist Gwyneth
Ho was sentenced to seven years in prison, and prominent Hong Kong
activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to four years and eight months in
prison.
Analysts say Tuesday's sentencing reflects the rapid disappearance of
basic rights and freedom in Hong Kong since the imposition of the
national security law in 2020.
"Today's harsh sentences against dozens of prominent democracy
activists reflect just how fast Hong Kong's civil liberties and
judicial independence have nosedived in the past four years since the
Chinese government imposed the draconian National Security Law on the
city," said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch.
Some former pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong said the case has
already closed off space for substantive political discussion and
public participation before Tuesday's sentencing.
"Since their arrest in 2021, there are no more protests and there is no
more public discussion about anything in Hong Kong," Debby Chan, a
former pro-democracy district councilor, told VOA by phone.
Experts say the case will further restrain Hong Kong's civil society,
as it shows there is no longer room for meaningful political
participation in the city.
"The outcome would set a precedence for future attempts to organize
political activities in Hong Kong and it also shows that authorities
can arrest and try large numbers of participants at the same time,"
Patrick Poon, a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo, told
VOA by phone.
## A more Chinese-style judicial system
Foreign governments have criticized the trial as politically motivated
and urged Hong Kong authorities to release the activists as they were
penalized for taking part in a peaceful political activity.
However, Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly
characterized the national security law as a means to restore order
following large-scale pro-democracy protests in 2019. They also said
the activists were [1]treated according to local law.
Poon said several defendants in the case were repeatedly denied bail
and endured years of pre-trial detention before court proceedings of
the case finally began, actions that show Hong Kong authorities are
adopting judicial practices that are often used in China.
"The lengthy pre-trial detention and denial of bail application are all
common practices in China's judicial system, so I think this case shows
that Hong Kong is becoming more similar to China in that regard," he
told VOA.
According to [2]data collected by the Georgetown Center for Asian Law,
173 individuals have been arrested under national security-related
charges and 94 individuals have been charged with national
security-related crimes since the law was implemented in July 2020.
Some defendants are reportedly suffering from chronic health issues and
others were not allowed to visit sick relatives.
"One defendant tried to apply for parole to visit his sick parents
multiple times but the correctional services department rejected his
applications. In the end, both of his parents passed away," Sunny
Cheung, an associate fellow for China studies at the Jamestown
Foundation and participant in the 2020 primary, told VOA by phone.
Despite the hardship over the last few years, Chan said Tuesday's
sentencing marks the end of a stage.
"The sentences mean we now have a date to look forward to and we
finally know when all of this suffering will end," she told VOA.
Poon said since Hong Kong has incorporated some Chinese practices into
its judicial system, it's important to see whether Hong Kong
authorities would deprive the detainees or their family members of
basic rights in the future.
"One thing I don't want to see is the authorities blocking relatives
from visiting the defendants, but since Hong Kong's judicial system has
become very similar to the Chinese system, it's really hard to say
whether this would happen in Hong Kong or not," he said.
As family and friends await the activists' release, years from now,
Chan said she will try to position herself in a Hong Kong society where
pro-democracy organizations no longer exist.
"The pro-democracy people are still there, but there are no
organizations to gather these people," she told VOA.
References
- https://www.voanews.com/a/hong-kong-convicts-14-pro-democracy-activists-in-city-s-biggest-national-security-case/7634597.html
- https://www.chinafile.com/tracking-impact-of-hong-kongs-national-security-law
#civil-rights #human-rights #democracy #hong-kong #香港 #china #中国 #election #subversion #conviction #sentencing
See also [gopher://gopher.floodgap.com/0/feeds/democracynow/2024/Nov/19/7](gopher://gopher.floodgap.com/0/feeds/democracynow/2024/Nov/19/7)
and
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/11/19/headlines/hong_kong_court_sentences_45_pro_democracy_activists_in_landmark_national_security_trial
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