Extinguishing the flame of freedom in Hong Kong


weither a crime Whether he was even committed is a matter of debate. Whether the punishment given is fair or not is another question. On November 19, judges sentenced 45 activists to between four and ten years in prison in Hong Kong’s largest national-security trial to date. The jailed men are among 47 pro-democracy figures, known as the “Hong Kong 47”, who were arrested for organizing an informal primary to choose candidates for the local legislature in 2021. Fourteen of the defendants were Found guilty in May Of conspiracy to sabotage. Thirty-one had already pleaded guilty. Two were acquitted. The entire affair has been widely criticized as politically motivated.