Hong Kong convicts 14 activists of subversion in biggest security case

BBC. Hong Kong found 14 pro-democracy activists guilty of subversion in the largest use yet of a China-imposed National Security Law. Anthony WALLACE / AFP. On Thursday, three High Court judges Andrew Chan, Alex Lee, and Johnny Chan agreed with the prosecutors' argument that had the pro-democracy candidates been elected they would have tried to "Veto or refuse to pass any budgets" introduced by the Hong Kong government. "They encapsulate the diverse and universal yearning for democracy and freedom among Hong Kong's citizens," Simon Cheng, who was accused of violating the NSL, told the BBC. He fled Hong Kong and has since been granted asylum in the UK. The case drew huge attention as yet another test for Hong Kong's civil liberties under Beijing's rule. Ms Chan is the chairperson of the League of Social Democrats, one of the very few pro-democracy political groups that still exist in Hong Kong. In response to the verdict, Beijing's foreign ministry said, "Hong Kong is a society based on rule of law... No one can conduct illegal activities under the banner of democracy and try to escape legal sanctions." The unofficial primary the case centers on was held in July 2020, despite warnings from officials that it may violate the NSL. But more than 600,000 Hong Kongers voted to pick opposition candidates who could run in the upcoming elections for the Legislative Council or LegCo, Hong Kong's mini-parliament. The NSL allows it to be decided by three judges handpicked by the Hong Kong government, rather than a jury, in what was seen as a departure from the city's common law traditions.