Foreign governments criticize HK verdicts

• AP, HONG KONG

Forty-five democracy activists in Hong Kong were yesterday sentenced to jail for up to 10 years, sparking criticism from foreign governments and rights groups, while Beijing defended the decisions.

The democracy advocates were among 47 people charged under a Beijing-imposed National Security Law in 2021 for their involvement in an unofficial primary election to pick opposition candidates.

In the territory’s biggest national security case to date, they were accused of agreeing to veto government-proposed budgets indiscriminately after potentially securing a legislative majority to force a dissolution of the legislature and then the ouster Hong Kong’s leader.

The case involved pro-democracy figures across the spectrum. Thirty-one of them pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit subversion. Fourteen others were convicted following a long trial. Two were acquitted.

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) said her government was “gravely concerned” by the sentences for Australian citizen Gordon Ng (吳政亨) and the other activists.

She added that Australia has expressed strong objections to the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities over the continuing broad application of national security legislation.

In London, Catherine West, undersecretary of state for Indo-Pacific at the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said the sentencing was a clear demonstration of Hong Kong authorities’ use of the security law to criminalize political dissent.

“Those sentenced today were exercising their right to freedom of speech, of assembly and of political participation,” she said.

Brushing off the criticism, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian (林劍) said no one should be allowed to use democracy as a pretext to engage in unlawful activities and escape justice.

Lin added that certain Western countries ignored the fact that they maintain their own national security through judicial procedures while unreasonably criticizing Hong Kong courts for “fairly implementing” the security law.

“This severely violates and tramples on the spirit of the rule of law,” he told a news briefing.

The EU called the sentencing “another unprecedented blow” against the territory’s fundamental freedoms, democratic participation and pluralism.

The bloc said in a statement that it is deeply concerned about the politically motivated prosecution of the defendants for peaceful political activity, adding that such activities should be legitimate in any political system that respects basic democratic principles.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) said the verdict pointed out clearly that the aim of the activists’ plan was to undermine, destroy or overthrow the territory’s political system.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman Jeremy Laurence said he was gravely concerned by the use of the security law to criminalize conduct protected by the human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

“We will continue to engage with the Chinese authorities as we have done in the past,” he said.

The US consulate in Hong Kong said that Washington strongly condemned the sentences, adding that the defendants were aggressively prosecuted and jailed for participating in normal political activity protected under the territory’s mini-constitution.

“We call on [Beijing] and Hong Kong authorities to cease politically motivated prosecutions of Hong Kong citizens and to immediately release all political prisoners and individuals jailed for their peaceful advocacy for rights and freedoms,” it said in a statement.

Hong Kong’s last British governor, Chris Patten, said the sentencing was “not only an affront to the people of Hong Kong, but those who value rights and freedoms around the world” in a statement.

He condemned the “sham” sentences, urging the British government not to allow the results of the case to go unnoticed. He said the activists were an integral part of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

Amnesty International China director Sarah Brooks said the people convicted in the “politically motivated” case should not spend even a day in jail.

“None of the 45 people sentenced have committed an internationally recognized crime; they have been jailed only for exercising their human rights,” she said.

Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, said: “Running in an election and trying to win it is now a crime that can lead to a decade in prison in Hong Kong.”

Wang said the harsh sentences reflect how fast Hong Kong’s civil liberties and judicial independence have nosedived in the past four years since the security law was introduced.