45 sentenced in Hong Kong’s biggest trial under national security law

A Hong Kong court sentenced 45 defendants on Tuesday, all convicted under the city’s national security law, with prominent pro-democracy figure Benny Tai receiving the longest sentence of 10 years.

The convictions stemmed from the group’s involvement in an unofficial primary election held in 2020, a bid to gain a pro-democracy majority in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. Tai, described as the “mastermind” of the operation, was handed the harshest penalty yet under the national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 to suppress dissent following pro-democracy protests in 2019.

In addition to Tai, several other well-known pro-democracy politicians, including Au Nok-hin, Andrew Chiu, Ben Chung, and Australian citizen Gordon Ng, were sentenced to up to seven years and three months. These individuals were singled out as key organizers of the informal poll, a move the government condemned as an attempt to subvert Hong Kong’s political system.

The trial, which began after a series of arrests in Jan. 2021, initially involved 47 defendants. It became the largest case under the controversial law by the number of people charged. However, two individuals were acquitted in May, reducing the final number of convictions to 45.

Australia has expressed “grave concern” over the sentencing, particularly the inclusion of Australian citizen Gordon Ng. Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the situation as a “deeply difficult time” for Ng, his family, and his supporters, reiterating Australia’s “strong objections” to the ongoing broad application of the national security law. The Australian government has long criticized the law for its use in stifling political dissent and curbing freedoms in Hong Kong.