In a highly anticipated ruling, three Hong Kong judges are set to announce on Thursday whether 16 opposition politicians and activists violated the national security law by participating in an unofficial legislative primary election four years ago. This decision comes after a mass arrest and prosecution in 2021 that drew criticism from the West, leading to US sanctions against officials involved in the crackdown on pro-democracy figures.
The prosecution argues that the primary election was a plot to subvert state power and paralyze the government by manipulating the Legislative Council. Key figures in the trial include legal scholar Benny Tai Yiu-ting, accused of initiating the primary, and 16 defendants facing charges, including former lawmakers and activists.
The ruling will determine if there was a conspiracy to undermine state power and if voting against the government’s budget constitutes an unlawful act under the security law. Following the verdict, mitigation hearings will take place for those convicted, including Tai and others who pleaded guilty before the trial.