Amnesty International condemns harsh sentences handed down to 45 Hong Kong opposition leaders

United Kingdom: The prison terms imposed on 45 opposition members in Hong Kong who were found guilty of “conspiring to subvert state power” under the city’s National Security Law have been denounced by Amnesty International. The human rights group has condemned the punishments, which may last up to ten years.

Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said, “No one convicted in this politically motivated case should be spending a day in jail; let alone be facing the kind of lengthy sentences meted out today.”

“We referred to these convictions as a ‘ruthless purge’ of the opposition months ago, and that has been confirmed today,” Brooks said. These penalties are obviously meant to punish opponents of the Hong Kong administration while terrorizing anyone who may dare to follow them, even if they pass muster with mitigation and due process.

“The severity of Hong Kong’s legal system is shown by these severe penalties. The 45 individuals incarcerated were simply punished for exercising their human rights; none of them had committed any crimes recognized by international law. We demand their unconditional and urgent release once again,” she said.

Since the National Security Law was passed in June 2020, this case has become the biggest prosecution under the law. Collectively, the 47 defendants were accused of “conspiracy to commit subversion.” Of the defendants, 31 entered guilty pleas to the charge, 16 entered not guilty pleas, and two were found not guilty.

Their involvement in self-organized “primaries” for the 2020 Legislative Council elections was the basis for the allegations. Before the Chinese government implemented a new electoral system that rigorously examined candidates, officials postponed these elections on the basis of COVID-19. Hong Kong’s then-chief executive, Carrie Lam, had cautioned that the “primaries” may violate the National Security Law, which had just been passed a few weeks before.

Amnesty International has expressed disapproval of the overuse of the National Security Law, contending that it does not adhere to the strict guidelines of international human rights law to treat self-organized primaries as a danger to Hong Kong’s existence, territorial integrity, or political independence.

With around 300 individuals detained for breaking the National Security legislation or sedition charges from the colonial period, Hong Kong’s human rights situation has become worse since the legislation was passed. The city’s repression has been intensified and opposing voices have been muffled by the recent implementation of the Article 23 law.