Hong Kong court jails 45 on subversion charges

A Hong Kong court on Tuesday jailed all 45 defendants convicted of subversion in the city's largest national security trial, with "mastermind" Benny Tai receiving the longest term of 10 years.

Tai's sentence was the longest yet handed out under the law, which was brought in to quash dissent after massive, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

His 44 co-defendants were sentenced to shorter terms beginning from four years and two months.

All were charged with subversion after holding an informal poll in 2020 as part of a strategy to win a pro-democracy electoral majority.

The group is made up of some of the most prominent figures of Hong Kong's once-diverse political opposition.

Among them, former student leader Joshua Wong shouted "I love Hong Kong, bye bye!" to the packed courtroom as he was led away after sentencing.

More than 200 people had queued in drizzle outside the court since dawn for a public seat.

Inside, the 45 defendants were crammed into the dock, occasionally waving to the public.

Many have already spent more than 1,300 days in jail.

Outside after the sentencing, the mother of defendant Hendrick Lui silently held up a placard reading: "The righteous shall live, the wicked shall perish."

She was taken away in a police van within seconds, according to video footage from Hong Kong media.

The second-longest sentence of seven years and nine months was handed to young activist Owen Chow. In a Facebook post before the sentencing, Chow had said he was "absolutely not optimistic".

Pro-democracy politicians Au Nok-hin, Andrew Chiu and Ben Chung were singled out as organisers, but received lesser sentences after testifying against Tai.

"Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, the 68-year-old co-founder of the city's last standing opposition party, received a term of six years and nine months.

His wife and party leader Chan Po-ying told AFP that it was "within our expectations".

"It is what it is -- no matter (whether) I laugh or I cry, so I choose to laugh a bit," she said.

Former district councillor Leticia Wong told AFP that she thought the sentences were "encouraging people to plead guilty and testify against their peers".

"For those who refused to be tamed, punishment is obviously heavier," Wong said.

Western countries and international rights groups condemned the trial.

The subversion charge could have carried a sentence of up to life in prison.