Hong Kong Sentences 45 Pro-Democracy Activists in Landmark Subversion Trial

A Hong Kong court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy campaigners to prison terms under China’s controversial national security law (NSL), marking a significant moment in the city’s political landscape. Among those convicted were Benny Tai, 60, who received a 10-year sentence, and Joshua Wong, 28, sentenced to over four years in jail.

The group, known as the Hong Kong 47, was accused of conspiring to subvert state power through their involvement in a 2020 initiative to select opposition candidates for local elections. Two defendants were acquitted earlier this year.

This trial, the largest to date under the NSL, underscores the sweeping changes in Hong Kong following the widespread pro-democracy protests of 2019. The demonstrations, initially sparked by a proposed law enabling extraditions to mainland China, evolved into broader demands for democratic reforms.

The national security law, introduced in mid-2020, has been widely criticized for eroding Hong Kong’s legal and political freedoms, which were guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” framework established when the city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.

Observers and rights groups warn that the sentences signal a further weakening of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and judicial independence, consolidating Beijing’s influence over the semi-autonomous territory.