Official announcements from Hong Kong Correctional Services

Benny Tai, Joshua Wong Among 45 of 'Hong Kong 47' Sentenced Up to 10 Years Under Security Law

Nov 19, 2024, 02:17 AM

A Hong Kong court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists, part of the 'Hong Kong 47', to prison terms ranging from four to ten years in the city's largest national security trial to date. Legal scholar Benny Tai received the longest sentence of ten years, while prominent activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to four years and eight months. The activists were convicted of conspiracy to subvert state power under the Beijing-imposed national security law for their involvement in an unofficial primary election in July 2020, in which 610,000 Hong Kongers voted. They had planned to secure a majority in the Legislative Council and veto bills, which the court ruled would have plunged the city into a constitutional crisis. The activists have been detained for over 1,400 days since their arrests. The sentencing on November 19 marks a significant escalation in the crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and has drawn international criticism.