Hong Kong Activists Jailed in Landmark Security Trial

Hong Kong's High Court sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to up to 10 years in jail after a national security trial. Charges were based on a 2020 primary election seen as subversive. Critics, including the U.S., condemned the sentences as politically motivated and a suppression of freedoms.

In a pivotal national security trial, Hong Kong's High Court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to terms reaching up to 10 years, sparking international condemnation and raising concerns over the erosion of the city's democratic fabric.

Benny Tai, portrayed as the movement's coordinator, received a decade-long sentence, marking the severest punishment meted out under the 2020 national security law. The trial has been heavily criticized by Western nations such as the U.S., which labeled it "politically motivated" and called for the activists' liberation.

Despite assertions from Chinese and Hong Kong authorities that the security laws are vital for order post-2019 protests, the heavy-handed legal proceedings have underscored tensions between maintaining regional stability and preserving democratic freedoms.

(With inputs from agencies.)