Hong Kong Court Upholds 47 Case Convictions

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal on Monday upheld the convictions and prison sentences of 12 pro-democracy activists in the city's largest national security case, rejecting their bids to overturn guilty verdicts or reduce jail terms stemming from an unofficial primary election in 2020.

The ruling pertains to the so-called Hong Kong 47 case, in which 47 opposition figures were arrested in early 2021 and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020. Authorities alleged that the activists organized the primary to select candidates who could secure a majority in the Legislative Council, then paralyze the government by vetoing annual budgets indiscriminately to force the city's leader to resign and meet demands including universal suffrage and greater police accountability. A lower court convicted 45 defendants in 2024, sentencing them to terms ranging from four years and two months to 10 years, depending on their roles. Two others, barrister Lawrence Lau and former district councillor Lee Yueshun, were acquitted.

Of the 12 appellants, 11 had challenged both their convictions and sentences, while former journalist Gwyneth Ho...