News in Brief

Australian among Hong Kong pro-democracy activists found guilty in subversion trial

The verdict comes more than three years after police arrested 47 democrats in mass dawn raids at homes across the city.

Police watch as activists walk into the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts in Hong Kong

Verdicts have been delivered in a landmark Hong Kong trial. Source: AAP / Chan Long Hei/AP

An Australian-Hong Kong dual citizen is among 14 pro-democracy activists convicted by a Hong Kong court on national security charges, following a landmark subversion trial.

The background: Three years ago, . They were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under a China-imposed national security law.

Thirty-one defendants pleaded guilty, and four became prosecution witnesses.

The verdict drew international concern about the erosion of the rule of law.

The key quote: "The Australian government raises consular and human rights concerns directly with the Hong Kong and Chinese governments regularly and at the highest levels."

"We will continue to do so, including in the case of Mr Ng." - Foreign Minister Penny Wong

What else to know: Mass pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019 against Beijing's plans for security legislation that democrats argued infringed on freedoms guaranteed when Hong Kong was handed back to China by the British in 1997.

What happens next: Sentencing is yet to come for those found guilty, with prison terms expected to range from three years to life.

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Published 30 May 2024 1:46pm
Updated 30 May 2024 4:19pm
Source: AAP, Reuters



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