All 45 HK pro-democracy activists jailed for subversion

International condemnation is swift; longest sentence of 10 years given to 'mastermind'

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A Hong Kong court on Nov 19 jailed all 45 defendants convicted in the city's largest trial under its sweeping national security law, with "mastermind" Benny Tai receiving the longest sentence of 10 years.

International condemnation was swift, with the US, Australia and rights groups slamming the sentencing as evidence of the erosion of political freedoms in the city since Beijing imposed the security law in 2020.

Tai's jail term is the longest yet handed out under the law, which was imposed by Beijing to quash dissent after massive, sometimes violent, pro-democracy protests the year before.

His 44 co-defendants were sentenced to shorter terms starting from four years and two months.

All were charged with subversion after holding an informal poll in 2020 as part of a strategy to win a pro-democracy electoral majority. The group includes some of the most prominent figures of Hong Kong's once-diverse political opposition.

After Tai, the second-longest sentence of seven years and nine months was handed to activist Owen Chow.

In a Facebook post before the sentencing, Chow said he was "absolutely not optimistic". He wrote: "But I see hope because even (if) I am far from the day of release, we have now seen the end point."

Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail. He shouted "I love Hong Kong, bye bye!" to the packed courtroom as he was led away after sentencing.