Hong Kong police charged a gaggle of 47 distinguished dissidents with “conspiracy to commit subversion” on Sunday.
It is the one largest use but of Beijing’s controversial, sweeping nationwide safety regulation towards the town’s democracy motion.
The 47 charged have been amongst 53 pro-democracy activists arrested by police in January. Those detained within the crackdown had hyperlinks to an unofficial main election organized by pro-democracy events forward of native legislative polls.
The National Security workplace had ordered a few of these arrested in January to report back to native police stations in Hong Kong at 2 p.m. native time on Sunday.
They will seem in court docket on Monday morning, the Hong Kong police stated in a press release.
The defendants embody 39 males and eight ladies aged between 23 and 64, police added.
Who has been charged with ‘subversion’?
The charged activists are a broad cross-section of Hong Kong’s opposition.
They embody veteran former pro-democracy lawmakers reminiscent of James To and Claudia Mo in addition to lecturers, attorneys and social staff.
Those additionally known as in by Hong Kong police embody a gaggle of youthful “resistance camp” democratic activists together with Lester Shum, Sam Cheung, Ventus Lau and Fergus Leung.
Some posted on social media earlier than heading to the police station.
“My chance of bail won’t be too great,” wrote Benny Tai in a publish. He was additionally charged and accused by Chinese authorities of being a key tactician for the pro-democracy motion.
Gwyneth Ho, a journalist and activist, posted on her Facebook web page earlier than being charged: “I hope everyone can find their road to peace of mind and then press forward with indomitable will.”
Hong Kong’s National Security Law
Beijing imposed the laws in June 2020 after swathes of the inhabitants hit the streets in 2019 in enormous and generally violent democracy protests.
It criminalizes acts deemed to be subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with overseas forces.
Those charged are routinely denied bail till trial and resist life in jail if convicted.
The new regulation has drawn worldwide condemnation for jeopardizing Hong Kong’s civil liberties enshrined below the “one country, two systems” framework, together with freedom of speech and meeting.
