Hong Kong's judiciary is facing scrutiny as rights activist Chow Hang-tung raised concerns over a national security judge's impartiality. Prominent figures like Martin Lee and Jimmy Lai seek to overturn their convictions related to the 2019 protests. Prosecutors push for tough sentencing of 45 opposition figures, as the landmark trial for 47 democrats nears its conclusion. Mitigation pleas begin for the defendants, with some facing potential life imprisonment. Legal scholar Benny Tai requests a two-year jail term for immediate release. The court rejects the notion that Tai played a minor role in the subversion scheme post-security law enactment.
Hong Kong 47: Judges reject Benny Tai having ‘little or no role’ in subversion scheme after security law took effect 🔗 https://t.co/vUWtvManrh https://t.co/WgBWKTslIf
1/ The mitigation hearings for 45 pro-democracy figures convicted of taking part in a conspiracy to commit subversion continued on Wednesday. In full: https://t.co/yVO2eYGxhZ Photos: Kyle Lam/HKFP. https://t.co/8AUiSpTgeG
Supporters enter court on the second day of mitigation hearings in the #HK47 trial. Police presence is heavy--attendees have to pass through a chute lined by cops. With 45 defendants to get through, the hearings are scheduled to go to August 8. https://t.co/4t2Q6ym64o
[Recap] A Hong Kong protester convicted of inciting secession has filed the city's first legal challenge against a new security law. https://t.co/u5F3WenT5y
Police set up media zones away from Hong Kong’s top court as detained democrats arrive for hearing https://t.co/71Pod0asHV
Police set up media zones away from Hong Kong’s top court as detained democrats arrive for hearing 🔗 https://t.co/27YfqisMfW https://t.co/E4VBTI76uU
Hong Kong court edges closer to sentencing democracy activists involved in unofficial primary https://t.co/f56ABKoYdl
In the 1st of 5 batches of mitigation hearings for the 45 of the #HK47 convicted, Benny Tai (who plead guilty) appeared in court for the 1st time since September 2022. He had grey hair & looked relaxed. Many in the public gallery were excited to see him. https://t.co/4Hzo4ja8Z6 https://t.co/O1PkqGK6aI
Stewart Wong, a senior lawyer representing #BennyTai, asked the court to give the legal scholar two years in jail, which would in theory allow him to be released immediately as he, like most of his co-defendants, has been detained since March 2021. #HK47 https://t.co/vBoDKMUXBb
Mitigation pleas for Hong Kong's biggest ever national security trial against the city's democratic opposition kicked off on Tuesday, in what is expected to be the final stage before sentencing that could see some defendants jailed for life https://t.co/2arCoEeAuN
Landmark trial for 47 Hong Kong democrats enters final stretch before sentencing https://t.co/mYaEyz8nDw https://t.co/iwix2awtzB
Hong Kong prosecutors urge tough sentencing of 45 opposition figures https://t.co/70TikJNGH0
[Recap] Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Jimmy Lai, Albert Ho, Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Kwok-hung and Cyd Ho sought to overturn their conviction over 2019 protest. https://t.co/AZ7Ldred1Q
[Recap] Rights activist Chow Hang-tung argued that a designated national security judge’s involvement in an earlier case could compromise her right to a fair trial. https://t.co/bg0xUQtcec