Dozens of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy campaigners, who have been convicted of subversion under China’s National Security Law (NSL) for their participation in a 2020 primary election that was deemed illegitimate by the Hong Kong government, have been sentenced in a landmark case that has solidified how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will handle related issues.
Pro-democracy activist and legal scholar Benny Tai, who was one of the organizers of the 2020 democratic primary, was among the 45 individuals sentenced at Hong Kong’s High Court on Tuesday. He was given a minimum 10-year sentence for conspiring to commit subversion, as defined under the NSL.
Subversion is a charge that can carry up to life imprisonment.
Others among those sentenced include activists Joshua Wong, Claudia Mo, Helena Wong, and Gwyneth Ho.
The designated national security judges for the three-judge panel were Judges Andrew Chan, Alex Lee, and Johnny Chan.
