Chinese court jails 10 Hong Kong activists for up to three years

A Chinese court jails 10 Hong Kong activists for up to three years over a bid by the group to flee the city by speedboat.

Relatives of the activists jailed in mainland China hold a press conference in Hong Kong. Picture: Getty Images

A Chinese court on Wednesday jailed 10 Hong Kong democracy activists for up to three years over a bid to flee the city by speedboat to Taiwan, as a crackdown on dissent in the territory intensifies.

The group was arrested by the Chinese coastguard on August 23 en route to Taiwan, which has opened its doors to Hongkongers seeking sanctuary.

The court in the southern city of Shenzhen sentenced Tang Kai-yin to three years in jail and Quinn Moon to two years for organising an illegal border crossing. The eight others were sentenced to seven months behind bars for illegally crossing the border.

The sentencing follows the imposition of a sweeping new security law in Hong Kong this year that has given the government broad powers to prosecute political dissidents.

A number of activists have fled the city for overseas and political organisations have shut their doors as Beijing seeks to keep a lid on unrest that rocked the financial hub for months last year.

Officials earlier said two ­minors from the so-called Hong Kong 12, aged 17 and 18, would be returned to Hong Kong after they admitted wrongdoing. The pair arrived back in the city about noon on Wednesday.

The 10 adults in the group first appeared before the Shenzhen court on Monday, but the trial — like many in China’s opaque legal system — was not open to foreign reporters or diplomats.

These 10 were also fined up to 20,000 yuan ($3966) in addition to their jail terms, but the Yantian District People’s Procuratorate said it would not pursue its case against the two teenagers, surnamed Hoang and Liu.

Families of the accused were notified of the trial date only three days before the hearing and were unable to attend because of the short notice and COVID-19 restrictions. Their lawyers were barred from meeting the detainees, with authorities instead appointing state-approved legal representation. The lawyers on Wednesday said the sentences were too heavy and the allegation of organising a border crossing was not substantiated.

The US on Monday called for the immediate release of the group, who it said was “fleeing tyranny”. China’s foreign ministry on Monday pushed back against comments by foreign countries on the case. Washington must “immediately stop interfering in China’s internal affairs through the Hong Kong issue and immediately stop interfering in China’s judicial sovereignty”, spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

Some of the group were already facing prosecution in Hong Kong. The two minors face charges of conspiracy to commit arson and possession of an offensive weapon.

Amnesty International said the group was at risk of torture serving sentences in mainland Chinese jails.

“These sentences meted out after an unfair trial lay bare the dangers faced by anybody who finds themselves tried under the Chinese criminal system,” said Amnesty Asia-Pacific Regional Director Yamini Mishra.

“The Chinese authorities have shown the world once again that political activists will not receive a fair trial.”

In a joint letter at the weekend, the families said they “strongly condemn” the decision to hold the trial in “de facto secret”.

The security law that now blankets Hong Kong gives authorities sweeping powers of prosecution for acts deemed terrorism, secession, subversion or collusion with foreign entities.

AFP