A Hong Kong court has rejected legal scholar Benny Tai Yiu-ting’s contention that it should not take into account his actions before the 2020 implementation of the national security law when deciding his sentencing for subversion.
The three judges overseeing the critical mitigation proceedings in the city’s largest national security trial on Wednesday highlighted the relevance of past conduct in the sentencing of Tai, who is among 45 opposition figures convicted of conspiracy to subvert state power.
The court ruled in its verdict last month that the move could have paralyzed the government and created a constitutional crisis.
Beijing has imposed a three-tier system in classifying offenders found guilty of subversion.
Navigate through the article to discover the intriguing details of the court’s decision!