More than a dozen of Hong Kong's leading democratic figures were found guilty on Thursday, accused of subversion, following the biggest national security trial since Beijing's sweeping crackdown on the once-free city.
The activists and politicians were convicted of “conspiracy to commit subversion” for participating in an unofficial primary election in 2020 to decide who should run in the city’s legislative elections.
They were part of a group of 47 defendants in what became known as the “Hong Kong 47” trial – a historic and closely watched case involving a national security law that Beijing imposed on the city following massive anti-government protests. in the last years.
Those who stood trial represented a broad swath of Hong Kong's now-fragmented democracy movement, and the vast majority pleaded guilty during the prosecution process.
However, 16 of the activists and politicians decided to contest the charges, opting for a full trial that lasted more than a year. Two of them were acquitted this Thursday (30) and walked free from court.
Now, the other 45 await sentencing at a later date and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Thursday's verdict offers one of the clearest windows yet into how the national security law has rewritten the region's political landscape, with a once-permitted pro-democracy opposition now decimated and dissent all but erased.
The governments of Hong Kong and Beijing have repeatedly denied that the national security law is suppressing freedoms, arguing that it ended chaos and “restored stability” in the city.
In a brief outlining the convictions, a panel of judges ruled that the prosecution had proven the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to disrupt the “duties and functions of the government with the intent to subvert the power of the State.”
Supporters of the convicts say they were simply participating in the kind of opposition politics that was once allowed to flourish in Hong Kong, and Thursday's verdict indicates China's complete control over the once-prominent city.
The 47 defendants were arrested for the first time in search and seizure operations in the early hours of January 6, 2021 – 1,240 days ago – and the vast majority have been detained for more than three years.
They include experienced politicians, elected legislators and young protest leaders, as well as academics, trade unionists, journalists and health professionals. They are people from several generations and from a wide political spectrum, from moderate democrats to those who defend Hong Kong's autonomy.
Among those who pleaded not guilty and were sentenced on Thursday (30) were former journalist Gwyneth Ho, 33, who became famous for broadcasting live an attack on pro-democracy protesters inside a subway station, and the Former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, 68, known by the nickname “Long Hair”, a left-wing activist who began his long political career campaigning against British colonial rule.
After the verdicts, some family members cried openly in the courtroom and waved to the defendants. Some of them smiled and waved back, others looked resigned.
Human Rights Watch criticized the convictions, arguing that the democratic leaders were prosecuted for “peaceful activism” and that the verdict demonstrated “complete disregard for both democratic political processes and the rule of law.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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