US EditionTwelve Hong Kong activists appeal convictions in landmark '47 democrats' case
HONG KONG, JUL 14 – Appeals focus on convictions related to a 2020 unofficial primary election deemed subversion under Hong Kong's National Security Law, with activists facing sentences up to nearly eight years.
- On July 14, 2025, Hong Kong's Court of Appeal will begin a 10-day hearing of appeals by 13 convicted democracy activists and the prosecution's challenge of a defendant's acquittal.
- The appeals stem from the largest national security trial involving 45 defendants convicted last November for conspiracy linked to a 2020 unofficial primary election deemed subversive by authorities.
- The case of the 'Hong Kong 47' originated from arrests in early 2021 after months of protests and the imposition of a national security law that criminalized subversion, which critics say suppresses legitimate expression.
- Amnesty International's Sarah Brooks described the case as a severe human rights crackdown, noting over 80% of convictions target peaceful expression, and called the appeal a pivotal test for free speech.
- The appeal proceedings will test Hong Kong's judicial independence amid ongoing political repression, with implications for restoring the city's global rights reputation and future freedoms.
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Appeal hearing for 13 pro-democracy activists begins in Hong Kong national security case
The appeal proceedings of 13 individuals, part of Hong Kong’s landmark national security case in which 47 pro-democracy activists were convicted, commenced on Monday. Amnesty International stated the hearing was a “pivotal chance to correct mass injustice.” The court will hear the appeals of 12 defendants who were convicted and sentenced in November 2024. The court will also hear an appeal from Hong Kong’s Department of Justice against the acqui…
Jailed Hong Kong Activists Appeal Convictions in Landmark National Security Law Case
Thirteen pro-democracy activists jailed in Hong Kong’s biggest national security trial appealed their convictions and sentences on Monday. The Court of Appeal began hearing the case on Monday at the West Kowloon courts, where scores of police officers, some with police dogs, patrolled the area and occasionally searched passers-by. Foreign diplomats from over half a dozen countries were in attendance for this latest stage of the legal saga that b…
The appeal of twelve opposition figures opened on Monday, 14 July, in Hong Kong, challenging their sentences handed down at the end of 2024 at the largest national security trial ever held in the Chinese region.
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