Jailing of 45 Hong Kong democrats in landmark trial draws criticism

Benny Tai, a former legal scholar identified in the judgement as a "mastermind" of the activists' plans, was sentenced to 10 years in jail, the longest sentence so far under the 2020 national security law.

Hong Kong's High Court on Tuesday jailed 45 pro-democracy activists for up to 10 years following a landmark national security trial that has damaged the city's once feisty democracy movement and drawn criticism from the US and other countries.

A total of 47 pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged in 2021 with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law which carried sentences of up to life in prison.