Police stand guard exterior the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts constructing, because the Hong Kong courtroom convicted 14 pro-democracy activists within the metropolis’s greatest nationwide safety case on Might 30, 2024. | Photograph credit score: Reuters
On Might 30, a Hong Kong courtroom convicted 14 pro-democracy activists within the metropolis’s greatest nationwide safety case below a legislation imposed by Beijing that has all however eradicated public dissent.
These discovered responsible embody former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung, Lam Cheuk-ting, Helena Wong and Raymond Chan. However the three judges accredited by the federal government to supervise the case acquitted two former district councillors, Lee Yue-shun and Lawrence Lau.
They have been amongst 47 democracy advocates who have been prosecuted in 2021 for his or her participation in an unofficial major election. Prosecutors had accused them of making an attempt to paralyze Hong Kong’s authorities and overthrow the town’s chief by gaining the legislative majority wanted to indiscriminately veto budgets.
The 16 defendants have been amongst 47 democracy advocates who have been prosecuted in 2021 for his or her participation in an unofficial major election below the broad legislation. They have been accused of making an attempt to paralyze Hong Kong’s authorities and overthrow the town’s chief by acquiring the legislative majority wanted to indiscriminately veto budgets.
Observers mentioned his subversion case will illustrate how the safety legislation is getting used to crush political opposition following large anti-government protests in 2019. However the governments in Beijing and Hong Kong insist the legislation has helped restore stability to the town and judicial independence. is being protected.
When Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, Beijing promised to protect the town’s Western-style civil liberties for 50 years. Nevertheless, for the reason that introduction of the 2020 legislation, Hong Kong authorities have severely restricted freedom of expression and meeting below the pretext of sustaining nationwide safety. Many activists have been arrested, silenced or compelled into self-exile. Dozens of civil society teams dissolved.
The prosecution of the primary case includes pro-democracy activists from throughout the spectrum. They embody jurist Benny Tai, former pupil chief Joshua Wong and a dozen former lawmakers, together with Leung Kwok-hung and Claudia Mo.
Thirty-one of them, together with Tai, Wong and Mo, pleaded responsible to the cost of conspiracy to commit subversion. They’re extra more likely to obtain shorter jail sentences and might be sentenced at a later date.
The opposite 16, together with Leung, who pleaded not responsible and underwent a bench trial, are anticipated to seem at a two-day listening to starting Thursday.
Dozens of residents lined up exterior the police-guarded courtroom constructing earlier than 6 a.m. to get a seat within the public gallery. Some followers who have been among the many first in line arrived Wednesday evening.
Social employee Stanley Chang, a good friend of one of many 16 defendants, mentioned he arrived on the scene at 4 a.m. as a result of he feared he would not have the ability to get a seat. Mr. Chang mentioned there was little or no his supporters might do for them and that attending the listening to was a type of firm.
“I need to give some help to my good friend and the faces I noticed on the information,” he mentioned, in his 30s.
SL Chiu, who solely gave his initials for concern of presidency reprisals, mentioned the listening to marked a historic second. To point out her help, she mentioned that she had collected different individuals’s messages for the 47 activists in a sketchbook and that she deliberate to mail them if potential.
“Hongkongers are nonetheless right here. We now have not given up. We proceed with all of you,” she mentioned.
On Wednesday evening, Lee Yue-shun, one of many defendants, mentioned on Fb that Thursday was like a particular commencement ceremony for him, though commencement is often about sharing happiness with household and pals. “This maybe finest displays the frequent helplessness of our technology,” he mentioned.
The July 2020 primaries have been supposed to preselect pro-democracy candidates who would then run within the official elections. It garnered an unexpectedly excessive turnout of 610,000 voters, representing greater than 13% of the town’s registered voters.
The professional-democracy camp on the time hoped to safe a legislative majority that might enable them to press the calls for of the 2019 protests, together with higher police accountability and democratic elections for the town chief.
However the authorities postponed legislative elections that might have adopted the primaries, citing public well being dangers in the course of the coronavirus pandemic. Election legal guidelines have been subsequently revised, drastically lowering the general public’s skill to vote and rising the variety of pro-Beijing lawmakers making choices on behalf of the town within the legislature.
Beijing additionally criticized the vote as a problem to the safety legislation, which criminalizes secession, subversion and collusion with international forces to intervene within the metropolis’s affairs, in addition to terrorism.