Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Face Life Sentences Under Security Law

Mitigation hearings for Hong Kong pro-democracy activists convicted under a national security law have begun. They face up to life in prison for their involvement in an unofficial primary aimed at paralyzing the government. A controversial verdict suggests the activists' plans would have created a constitutional crisis.

A Hong Kong court commenced mitigation hearings for prominent pro-democracy activists convicted under the national security law, facing potential life sentences. These activists were part of a group of 47 charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021, linked to an unofficial primary.

The court accused the group of attempting to destabilize Hong Kong's government by securing a legislative majority to block city budgets. Forty-five defendants either pled guilty or were convicted by a government-approved three-judge panel. The judges argued that their actions could have caused a constitutional crisis, raising concerns about judicial independence.

Benny Tai, a law scholar, alongside activists Au Nok-hin, Andrew Chiu, Ben Chung, and Gordon Ng, were the first to plead for lenient sentences. The hearings will continue until early August. On the first day, dozens of supporters queued for hours outside the tightly guarded court building.

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