Hong Kong, Feb 6, (dpa/GNA) – The largest trial of people accused of violating Hong Kong’s controversial security law, began on Monday, with 47 people charged, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
Eighteen of the 47 had indicated before the trial, that they would plead not guilty to the charges that date back some two years. Most of the activists have been held in custody since then.
At the start of the trial, two of the 18 changed their pleas to guilty. The rest entered guilty pleas and will receive their sentences after the trial concludes.
Among the accused are a number of prominent activists, such as former student leader Joshua Wong, and law lecturer Benny Tai.
The activists stand accused of organizing illegal primary elections in 2020, ahead of scheduled elections to the Legislative Council, the parliament of the Special Administrative Region of China, which were later cancelled on account of the pandemic.
They are accused of subversion and violating the security law, that went into force in the late summer of the same year.
The trial is expected to last around 90 days.
The security law, which was passed in reaction to demonstrations that had been continuing for around a year, drew international criticism. The law is aimed at activists that Beijing sees as subversive, separatist, terrorist or conspiratorial.
Hong Kong was returned to China on July 1, 1997, but is ruled under the principle of “one country, two systems” intended to grant the region a high degree of autonomy until 2047. Critics say the security law effectively scrapped this principle.
GNA