Janice R. Andrews
A Hong Kong court has set November 19 for sentencing 45 pro-democracy figures in the region’s largest national security case to date. The defendants, a diverse group including activists, lawmakers, and academics, were found guilty of conspiracy to subvert state power after organizing an unofficial primary election in July 2020.
High Court Judge Andrew Chan will deliver the sentences, marking the end of proceedings that began almost three years ago. The defendants, most of whom have been detained since February 2021, could face life sentences under the national security law implemented by Beijing in June 2020.
The court determined that the defendants’ plan to win a legislative majority and potentially force the chief executive’s resignation through budget vetoes constituted a threat to Hong Kong’s constitutional system. Of the original 47 accused, 31 entered guilty pleas, while 14 of the remaining 16 were convicted after trial, with two acquittals.
The defendants presented various arguments during mitigation hearings from June to September 2023, including claims of limited involvement and uncertainty about the primaries’ illegality under the new security law. Some sought support through character references from establishment figures.
The national security law, enacted following intense protests in 2019, has led to widespread arrests and the disbanding of numerous civil society organizations. While local authorities maintain it has brought stability, international observers and trading partners express concern about diminishing freedoms in the former British colony.
