The activists facing jail in Hong Kong's largest national security case

On Tuesday a tribunal volition manus retired jailhouse sentences for immoderate of Hong Kong's biggest pro-democracy icons, including Joshua Wong and Benny Tai, successful a arguable nationalist information case.

They are portion of a radical known arsenic the Hong Kong 47 who were charged 3 years ago successful a crackdown nether the nationalist information instrumentality (NSL) imposed by China.

Officials accused the 8 women and 39 men of trying to overthrow the authorities by moving an unofficial superior to prime absorption candidates for the Legislative Council (LegCo) election.

Held successful July 2020, the superior was aimed astatine helping the absorption summation a ample capable foothold to artifact the pro-Beijing government’s bills. It attracted much than fractional a cardinal voters.

The superior was seen arsenic a mode of continuing the pro-democracy question aft the 2019 protests dwindled with the pandemic. It alarmed Beijing and Hong Kong officials, who warned that the determination could breach the NSL which came into effect days earlier the primary.

Organisers argued that their actions were allowed nether the Basic Law, the mini-constitution that governs Hong Kong and guarantees it immoderate freedoms.

But astatine the extremity of the trial, the judges agreed with the prosecution's statement that the program would person created a law situation if the winners of the superior were elected arsenic lawmakers.

Most of the defendants either pleaded blameworthy oregon were convicted of conspiring to effort subversion. Two were acquitted successful May, which means 45 radical volition person their sentences connected Tuesday.

Some are celebrated figures specified arsenic Joshua Wong and Benny Tai, icons of the 2014 pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong.

There are besides well-known absorption lawmakers Claudia Mo, Helena Wong, Kwok ka-ki and Leung Kwok-hung who is besides known arsenic Long Hair.

But galore similar Owen Chow, Ventus Lau and Tiffany Yuen represented a caller procreation of vocal activists. Mr Lau and Mr Chow were among hundreds who stormed LegCo and spray-painted Hong Kong's emblem successful what became a pivotal infinitesimal successful the 2019 protests.

Then determination are those who were not progressive successful authorities but were galvanised by the 2019 protests - societal workers similar Hendrick Lui, entrepreneurs similar Mike Lam and a erstwhile nurse, Winnie Yu.

Most of the defendants person been successful jailhouse since the arrests successful aboriginal 2021, arsenic pre-trial detentions person go the norm nether the NSL.

The 2 acquitted are Laurence Lau, a barrister and erstwhile territory councillor, and Lee Yue-shun, besides a erstwhile territory councillor.

One of the main organisers of the 2020 primary, Mr Tai has been labelled by China arsenic a “hardcore troublemaker” for allegedly advocating Hong Kong independency and describing the Communist Party’s regularisation arsenic a “dictatorship”.

A student and instrumentality professor, Benny Tai archetypal roseate to prominence successful 2014 erstwhile helium founded the pro-democracy Occupy Central question on with 2 others.

It was a historical civilian disobedience run that called for just and escaped elections successful Hong Kong, and saw hundreds of thousands instrumentality to the streets.

In 2019, Mr Tai was sentenced to situation for his relation successful the Occupy Central protests.

A twelvemonth later, aft the NSL was imposed, helium was fired from his tenured occupation astatine the prestigious University of Hong Kong (HKU) implicit his transgression conviction.

Mr Tai accused the assemblage of bowing to Chinese unit and called it the “end of world freedom” successful the city.

By then, helium was already facing accusations of subversion nether the NSL for organising the primary.

Arguably Hong Kong’s astir celebrated pro-democracy activist, Joshua Wong’s travel into activism started erstwhile helium was conscionable 14.

By 2014, helium had go the look of the Umbrella Movement, a wide pupil protestation with the umbrella arsenic a symbol, which sprang up alongside the Occupy Central sit-in.

He was conscionable 20 erstwhile his activism landed him successful jail, the archetypal of what would beryllium respective convictions.

In 2019, Hong Kong erupted successful months-long protests arsenic hundreds of thousands marched against a hugely arguable extradition measure that would let Hongkongers to beryllium sent to mainland China to look trial.

Mr Wong was among thousands who held a 15-hour siege of constabulary office successful the Wan Chai district, pelting the gathering with eggs and spraying graffiti connected its walls, successful June that year.

While the demonstrations astatine that clip were wide seen arsenic a spontaneous “leaderless" movement, prosecutors said helium led that peculiar protest, pointing to a video of him calling for the assemblage to "completely besiege constabulary headquarters”.

He was jailed for his relation successful them, and placed successful solitary confinement.

But helium remained defiant aft pleading guilty: “Perhaps the authorities privation maine to enactment successful situation 1 word aft another. But I americium persuaded that neither situation bars, nor predetermination ban, nor immoderate different arbitrary powers would halt america from activism.”

He was inactive serving his condemnation erstwhile helium was charged with subversion nether the NSL.

Former absorption lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, amended known arsenic Long Hair for his coiffure, erstwhile described himself arsenic a “Marxist revolutionary”.

The 68-year-old was known for his governmental theatrics - 1 of his signature moves progressive hurling bananas arsenic a motion of protest. When helium was sworn successful again arsenic a lawmaker successful 2016, helium released a balloon with a governmental banner and held a yellowish umbrella, declaring that the “Umbrella Movement would ne'er end”.

This got him disqualified from the council. He was arrested and had repeated stints successful jailhouse for taking portion successful the 2019 protests.

After the NSL was imposed successful 2020, helium joined his long-time partner, Vanessa Chan, besides known arsenic Chan Po-ying, who is simply a salient activist. They were among the founding members of a governmental party, the League of Social Democrats.

They said they decided to wed due to the fact that should 1 of them beryllium jailed, they would person greater ineligible rights specified arsenic situation visitation.

Forty days aft the wedding, Mr Leung was charged.

Claudia Mo, known affectionately successful Cantonese arsenic Auntie Mo, utilized to beryllium a salient absorption lawmaker.

She had been a writer astatine the AFP quality agency, wherever she covered the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown successful Beijing.

The 67-year-old helped acceptable up the absorption Civic Party successful 2006 and by 2012 she won a spot successful LegCo aft she gave up British citizenship to clasp office.

She was among 15 lawmakers who resigned en masse from LegCo aft 4 pro-democracy lawmakers were ousted successful November 2020. The determination near LegCo with nary absorption presence.

"We had to," she said astatine the time. "We request to protestation against what could beryllium the eventual Beijing crackdown connected Hong Kong - to soundlessness the past spot of dissent successful the city."

Police "smashed done into the surviving room" to apprehension her successful the aboriginal hours of 6 January 2021, the FT reported, citing an unnamed root who described the raid arsenic "sheer thuggery".

She has been successful jailhouse since then. When her husband, British writer Philip Bowring, was critically ill, Ms Mo was not allowed to sojourn him from prison.

A long-time governmental and LGBTQ activist, Jimmy Sham besides led 1 of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy groups, the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF).

The radical disbanded successful 2021, saying it could nary longer run amid “unprecedented” challenges posed by China’s crackdown.

Mr Sham was violently attacked respective times successful 2019, and successful 1 instance, was near connected the streets with a caput injury. The CHRF accused authorities supporters of this and different assaults against pro-democracy activists astatine the time, but it was ne'er proven.

The 37-year-old joined his spouse successful New York successful 2013 and fought for Hong Kong to recognise overseas same-sex marriages. Hong Kong’s apical tribunal granted him a partial triumph successful 2023 erstwhile it ordered the authorities to found a model to recognise same-sex partnerships.

By past Mr Sham was successful detention for his relation successful the Hong Kong primary.

He has been repeatedly denied bail, with a justice saying helium was a “determined and resolute young man” who would apt proceed to perpetrate “acts endangering nationalist security” should helium beryllium released.

Before pivoting to politics, 33-year-old Gwyneth Ho had worked for respective quality outlets including BBC Chinese, government-run broadcaster RTHK and Stand News.

She changeable to fame during the 2019 protests erstwhile she was beaten up by a mob portion doing a report. The onslaught landed her successful hospital.

She ran successful the 2020 superior and won a precocious fig of votes successful her constituency.

She said during her proceedings that it was “inevitable” that the 12 pro-democracy candidates, including her, were disqualified from contesting the legislative elections.

“I judge that astir Hongkongers knew heavy down successful their hearts that warring for ideology nether the Chinese communist authorities has ever been a fantasy,” she said.