A Hong Kong court has sentenced prominent pro-democracy advocate Benny Tai to ten years in prison, marking a significant moment in the territory’s largest national security case. This ruling, delivered on Tuesday, also included lengthy sentences for dozens of other activists involved in organizing an unofficial primary election aimed at selecting pro-democracy candidates for the city’s legislature.
Tai, a 60-year-old law academic who had been a key figure in the pro-democracy movements in 2014 and 2019, was accused of being the “organizer” of a conspiracy that dated back to July 2020. With Tai, 44 others pleaded or were found guilty of charges arising from the primary election designed to elect lawmakers who could, theoretically, veto the budget and cause the legislature to dissolve. Prosecutors charged the group with conspiring to “overthrow” the government.
The heaviest sentence handed down after Tai’s was meted out to Owen Chow, 27, who was sentenced to seven years and nine months for his candidacy in the election. Other prominent sentences included former journalist Gwyneth Ho, 34, who was given seven years, as well as Australian citizen Gordon Ng, who got seven years and three months for encouraging people to take part in the primary.
Many defendants had been held in remand for years, denied bail following marathon hearings that began in March 2021. Among the 47 people arrested in January 2021, 31 pleaded guilty, including Tai. The trial lasted 118 days, presided over by three judges handpicked by the government, yet lacked many protections typically to be found in Hong Kong’s legal system.
The international observers have rapidly condemned the sentencing, and rights groups pointed to the alarming decline of civil liberties in Hong Kong since the enforcement of the National Security Law in 2020. Human Rights Watch said the sentences had shown that holding elections had now become a crime in the territory.
Australia and the United States have also expressed strong objections to the sentences, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirming a formal complaint had been lodged regarding the treatment of Australian citizen Gordon Ng.
Hong Kong has been deeply affected by the political landscape since widespread protests erupted in 2019 against proposed extradition laws. Subsequent national security legislation led to the arrest of hundreds, many prominent activists included, signaling a stark shift in the region’s approach to dissent.
