HONG KONG – A Chinese court has sentenced 10 Hong Kong activists to prison who were caught fleeing the city in a motor boat, in a case that attracted international attention and galvanized the city’s opposition.
The convicted activists were in a group that became known as “Hong Kong 12.” Cases have become the focus of a pro-democracy movement, which has been removed by pandemic restrictions, keeping protesters out of the streets and a new law imposed by Beijing, which allows authorities to try people accused of threatening national security.
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“They did not have adequate legal representation, they were detained in secret for months and the verdict was handed down after a secret trial.”
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Families and pro-democracy activists have criticized the detention of the 12 on the mainland since the Chinese Coast Guard intercepted a motor boat bound for Taiwan in late August. The families and lawyers they hired to represent the activists were not allowed to contact them. The defendants were appointed lawyers from the mainland, and their trial took place this week behind closed doors.
“They did not have adequate legal representation, they were held in secret for months and the verdict was handed down after a secret trial,” said Eddie Chu, a pro-democracy politician who coordinated with the families of the 12th. a joke, but with serious consequences – we don’t even know how to appeal the sentence “.
The United States has demanded the release of activists earlier this week. Foreign diplomats tried to participate in the trial, but were not allowed access.
Two of the 10 convicted activists – Tang Kai-yin, 31, and Quinn Moon, 33 – were convicted of attempting to escape and received terms of three years and two years, respectively, the court said. Mr. Tang was also fined 20,000 yuan, the equivalent of about $ 3,000, and Ms. Moon was fined 15,000 yuan.
China has adopted a national security law for Hong Kong aimed at stifling anti-government protests after a year of unrest. Josh Chin, WSJ, explains why some countries have criticized the law and why critics say it could threaten the city’s status as a global financial center. Photo: May James / Zuma Press
The other eight were sentenced to seven months and fined 10,000 yuan, the court said, adding that all pleaded guilty in the trial that took place at the Yantian District Court in Shenzhen.
The other two, who were minors at the time of their arrest in August, were handed over to a Hong Kong police station on Wednesday. Chinese prosecutors have decided to drop their cases because they were minors after pleading guilty in another closed-door hearing, according to the Hong Kong prosecutor’s office and police.
Police said the teenagers, who are now 18 and 17, respectively, will continue to face charges in Hong Kong. The two are accused of arson in connection with their alleged involvement in last year’s protests. In September 2019, the older teenager was arrested along with four other people in an operation in which police found explosive materials inside an apartment, while the youngest is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a police station. police in October last year, police said.
In October, city police arrested nine people who they said helped the 12 activists in their escape attempt. A Chinese court statement released on Wednesday suggests that Mr. Tang and Ms. Moon’s operation was organized by other efforts. Lawyers hired by family members of the defendants said they “will not rule out the possibility of several people being arrested.”
Members of the “Hong Kong 12” family spoke to the media on Monday.
Photo:
miguel candela / EPA / Shutterstock
Pro-democracy activists tried to use the cases to revive the Hong Kong protest movement, which was initially triggered by a now-defunct bill that would have allowed the extradition of people to mainland China.
A number of Hong Kong democracy activists have sought refuge this year after the passage of the national security law, including former MPs Nathan Law, Ted Hui and Sixtus Leung.
—Natasha Khan contributed to this article.
Write to Joyu Wang at [email protected]
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