A court in Hong Kong convicted 14 pro-democracy activists on Thursday in a landmark political trial. They and dozens of other activists who had previously pleaded guilty now face potential prison time, highlighting the sweeping power of a national security law Beijing imposed to tighten its grip on the Chinese territory.
The trial centered on 47 opposition figures — politicians, academics and activists — whom the authorities accused of conspiracy to commit subversion. Here’s a look at who they are.
Joshua Wong, 27, became a prominent activist at age 14.
Benny Tai, 59, was a professor of law at the University of Hong Kong.
Twelve were elected lawmakers, who had often used their presence in the legislature to protest China’s encroachment on Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Mo had served as a lawmaker for eight years and is known as “Auntie Mo.”
Better known as “Long Hair,” Leung had been a mainstay of the opposition for nearly two decades.
Chan was Hong Kong’s first openly gay lawmaker.
Twenty-one had been elected district officials, including younger activists who were voted in after months of antigovernment protests in 2019.
Sham was a leader of an activist group that organized huge pro-democracy rallies throughout 2019.
Others were prominent activists who had worked on various social causes.
Ng was a former flight attendant who became a union leader.
Ho was a journalist who rose to fame in 2019 when, during her livestream of a mob attack on protesters, she herself was beaten by thugs.
Wong was a student leader who began her activism when she was in high school.
Lengthy Detentions Without Trial
The 47 defendants were charged in February 2021 with subversion for holding or taking part in an unofficial primary vote to select opposition candidates to run in elections.
Unlike other types of offenses, national security cases impose a high threshold for bail, which, in effect, lets the authorities hold defendants for months or even years before trial. Critics say that amounts to a presumption that defendants are guilty.
In hearings before the trial, 16 contested the charges and 31 pleaded guilty, including Benny Tai and Joshua Wong. On Thursday, the court in Hong Kong acquitted two of the defendants, Lawrence Lau, a barrister, and Lee Yue-shun, a social worker.
The charges carry prison sentences that range from less than three years to life.
The defendants and their lawyers are barred from commenting on the case. But legal experts say the democracy proponents are probably under enormous pressure to plead guilty because of the lengthy detentions, dwindling financial resources and the long odds of winning in a court modeled after China’s authoritarian system.
“The process is designed to be as painful as possible,” said Samuel Bickett, a lawyer and activist based in Washington, D.C., who was jailed in Hong Kong after scuffling with a plainclothes police officer in 2019.
The Transformation of Hong Kong’s Political Landscape
Starting in June 2019, Hong Kong was engulfed in widespread protests calling for greater freedom from China.. To quell the unrest, Beijing imposed a national security law in June 2020, days before the 47 democrats held the primary election that would lead to their arrests months later.
Most of the 47 have been jailed ever since. Their arrests effectively muted the city’s once-vocal opposition. China also imposed a drastic overhaul of election rules for Hong Kong that effectively barred pro-democracy candidates from running for seats in the legislature.
Protests began
Mass antigovernment protests began and escalated in intensity over months.
National security law enacted
The new law bans vaguely defined crimes of secession, subversion and terrorism, with a potential sentence of life in prison.
Pro-democracy primary
Pro-democracy candidates held a primary vote ahead of the upcoming Legislative Council election. The 47 defendants helped organize or participated in this event.
Original date of the election
47 people charged, most denied bail
They were charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion,” for organizing and participating in the pro-democracy primary. Most were denied bail and kept behind bars as a long legal process began.
New election rules announced
China announced new rules for Hong Kong elections, limiting candidates to only those deemed loyal to Beijing.
“Patriots-only” election takes place
More than 30 defendants were detained. Most of them had been jailed for almost two years before the trial even began.
Closing arguments concluded
Hong Kong passed its own national security law
A court began issuing verdicts
