HONG KONG (AP) 鈥� Forty-five ex-lawmakers and activists were sentenced to four to 10 years in prison Tuesday in under that crushed a once-thriving pro-democracy movement.
They were tried under the 2020 national security law for their roles in an . Prosecutors said their aim was to paralyze Hong Kong鈥檚 government and force the city鈥檚 leader to resign by aiming to win a legislative majority and using it to block government budgets indiscriminately.
, who was widely seen as the organizer of the unofficial primary, received the longest sentence of 10 years. The judges said the sentences had been reduced for defendants who said they were unaware the plan to secure a majority in the legislature and stall governance was unlawful.
However, the court said the penalties were not reduced for Tai and former lawmaker Alvin Yeung, as they are lawyers who were 鈥渁bsolutely adamant in pushing for the implementation of the Scheme.鈥�
In the judgment posted online, the judges wrote that Tai essentially 鈥渁dvocated for a revolution鈥� by publishing a series of articles over a period of months that traced his thinking, even though in his mitigation letter Tai said the steps were 鈥渘ever intended to be used as blueprint for any political action.鈥�
Two of the 47 original defendants had been acquitted earlier this year. The rest either pleaded guilty to or were found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion. The judges said in the verdict that the activists鈥� plans to effect change through the unofficial primary would have undermined the government鈥檚 authority and created a constitutional crisis.
The judges rejected the reasoning from some defendants that the scheme would never have materialized, stating that 鈥渁ll the participants had put in every endeavor to make it a success."
In the judgment, the judges highlighted that a great deal of time, resources and money had been put into the organization of the primary election.
鈥淲hen the Primary Election took place on the 10 and 11 July, no one had remotely mentioned the fact that Primary Election was no more than an academic exercise and that the Scheme was absolutely unattainable,鈥� the judgment read. 鈥淚n order to succeed, the organisers and participants might have hurdles to overcome, that however was expected in every subversion case where efforts were made to overthrow or paralyse a government.鈥�
Some of the defendants waved at their relatives in the courtroom after they were sentenced.
Chan Po-ying, wife of defendant Leung Kwok-hung, told reporters she wasn鈥檛 shocked when she learned her husband received a jail term of six years and nine months. She said they were trying to use some of the rights granted by the city鈥檚 mini-constitution to pressure those who are in power to address the will of the people.
鈥淭his is an unjust imprisonment. They shouldn鈥檛 be kept in jail for one day,鈥� said Chan, also the chair of the League of Social Democrats, one of the city鈥檚 remaining pro-democracy parties.
Emilia Wong, the girlfriend of Ventus Lau, felt calm because Lau鈥檚 jail term was within her expectations. Wong said the sentencing was a 鈥渕iddle phase鈥� of history and she could not see the end point at this moment, but she pledged to support Lau as best as she could.
Philip Bowring, the husband of Claudia Mo, was relieved that the sentences finally were handed down.
Observers said the trial illustrated how authorities suppressed dissent following , alongside media crackdowns and reduced public choice in elections. The drastic changes reflect how Beijing鈥檚 promise to retain the former British colony鈥檚 civil liberties for 50 years when it returned to China in 1997 is increasingly threadbare, they said.
Beijing and Hong Kong governments insisted the national security law was necessary for the city's stability.
The sentencing drew criticism from foreign governments and human rights organizations globally.
The U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong said the U.S. strongly condemned the sentences against the 45 pro-democracy advocates and former lawmakers.
鈥淭he defendants were aggressively prosecuted and jailed for peacefully participating in normal political activity protected under Hong Kong鈥檚 Basic Law,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淲e call on (Beijing) and Hong Kong authorities to cease politically motivated prosecutions of Hong Kong citizens and to immediately release all political prisoners and individuals jailed for their peaceful advocacy for rights and freedoms.鈥�
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said its government was 鈥済ravely concerned鈥� by the sentences for Australian citizen Gordon Ng and the other activists. Wong said Australia has expressed strong objections to the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities on the continuing broad application of national security legislation.
The subversion case involved pro-democracy activists across the spectrum. They include Tai, former student leader and former lawmakers. Most of them have already been detained for more than three and a half years before the sentencing. The separations
More than 200 people stood in line in moderate rain and winds Tuesday morning for a seat in the court, including one of the acquitted defendants Lee Yue-shun. Lee said he hoped members of the public would show they care about the development of the court case.
鈥淭he public's interpretation and understanding has a far-reaching impact on our society's future development,鈥� he said.
A supporter locally known as 鈥淕randpa Wong,鈥� who did not know the English spelling of his name, said he wanted to see the convicted activists again. He is about 100 years old and feared he wouldn't be able to see them when they are released from prison.
Wei Siu-lik, a friend of convicted activist Clarisse Yeung, said she arrived at 4 a.m. even though her leg was injured. 鈥淚 wanted to let them know there are still many here coming here for them,鈥� she said.
Thirty-one of the activists entered a guilty plea and had better chances of getting reduced sentences. The law authorizes a range of sentences depending on the seriousness of the offense and the defendant鈥檚 role in it, going from under three years for the least serious to 10 years to life for people convicted of 鈥済rave鈥� offenses.
The unofficial primary held in July 2020 drew 610,000 voters, and its winners would have advanced to the official election. Authorities canceled the official legislative election, however, citing public health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kanis Leung And Zen Soo, The Associated Press
