HONG KONG — A few of Hong Kong’s best-known pro-democracy activists went on trial Monday within the largest prosecution but beneath a legislation imposed by China’s ruling Communist Social gathering to crush dissent.

The 18 defendants withstand life in jail if convicted beneath the nationwide safety legislation critics say is eroding the autonomy promised when Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, and its standing as a world enterprise heart.

They have been amongst 47 pro-democracy figures who have been arrested in 2021 beneath the laws that was imposed following protests in 2019. They have been charged in reference to a casual 2020 major election.

The professional-democracy motion has largely dried up after activists have been jailed or went into exile. Rising numbers of younger professionals have responded to the erosion of Hong Kong’s Western-style civil liberties by leaving for Britain, america and different international locations. The USA imposed sanctions on officers it mentioned have been guilty for the abuses.

The first in 2020 aimed toward selecting pro-democracy candidates who might win management of the territory’s Legislative Council. Prosecutors accuse them of attempting to paralyze Hong Kong’s authorities and topple the town’s chief by securing a majority to veto budgets.

The prosecution includes most of the metropolis’s most distinguished activists, together with authorized scholar Benny Tai, former scholar chief Joshua Wong and opposition celebration leaders Wu Chi-wai and Alvin Yeung.

In earlier proceedings, the 18 activists had indicated they meant to plead not responsible. However two of them — former district councilor Ng Kin-wai and businessman Mike Lam — later modified their minds, becoming a member of the opposite 29 activists, together with Tai, Wong, Yeung and Wu, who plan to confess the fees.

Whereas many of the 47 activists who have been charged with conspiracy to commit subversion have been detained with out bail for almost two years, former lawmakers Raymond Chan and Helena Wong, who appeared in court docket on Monday, have been among the many minority who have been granted bail primarily based on strict circumstances.

Forward of the opening statements, the pair, alongside 14 different activists, pleaded not responsible in entrance of the judges, who have been authorised by the town’s chief to supervise the case. Ng and Lam pleaded responsible.

Those that intend to plead responsible will obtain their sentencing after the trial. A few of them, together with Wong and former district councillor Lester Shum, have been within the courtroom to watch the trial.

Earlier within the morning, greater than 200 individuals, together with relations and associates of the defendants, lined up exterior the court docket constructing as native police stepped up safety within the space.

Some individuals on the entrance of the road, together with a gaggle of greater than 10 who got here at 6 a.m. to safe a seat for the listening to, mentioned they’d no clue what the trial was about. That prompted pro-democracy activists among the many spectators to query whether or not they have been simply attempting to occupy the seats in order that different members of the general public couldn’t get a spot to watch the high-profile trial.

Three members of the League of Social Democrats staged a small protest exterior the complicated, urging the fast launch of all political prisoners. One member was taken away by the police for violating the masks mandate when he took his masks off and tried to talk loudly.

The trial is predicted to final 90 days. The case has drawn worldwide scrutiny, with advocacy teams and politicians condemning the fees.

The federal government postponed the legislative election that might have adopted the first, citing public well being dangers through the coronavirus pandemic. The electoral system was later overhauled to provide Beijing extra management over who’s elected to Hong Kong’s legislature.

The nationwide safety legislation criminalizes secession, subversion, and collusion with international forces to intervene within the metropolis’s affairs in addition to terrorism. Aside from the activists, pro-democracy writer Jimmy Lai can also be going through collusion fees beneath the legislation.

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Related Press video journalist Alice Fung contributed to this report.