The trials of 10 people from Hong Kong detained at sea while allegedly en route to Taiwan got underway in mainland China, a court official said on Monday, as campaigners urged fair hearings and the United States called for the group’s “immediate release”.
The defendants are part of a group of 12 who were intercepted by the Chinese coastguard on August 23 and have been held virtually incommunicado in a mainland prison since.
They face charges of illegal border crossing and organising an illicit border crossing, which could carry a sentence of up to seven years in jail.
Their case has attracted great interest as a rare instance of mainland authorities detaining people trying to leave semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where democracy activists last year led enormous protests against Beijing’s rule.
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China Trial Of Hong Kong 12 Begins As US Decries Tyranny By Beiyi Seow, with Su Xinqi in Hong Kong
12/28/20 AT 9:36 AM
A group of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who tried to escape the city by speedboat for sanctuary in Taiwan went on trial in China on Monday as the United States urged the immediate release of dissidents it says fled tyranny .
Ten of the so-called Hong Kong 12 were in court in the southern city of Shenzhen to face charges linked to an illegal border crossing.
Chinese authorities took them into custody after their boat was intercepted on August 23.
The hearing began as scheduled on Monday afternoon and a convoy of vehicles were seen departing around four hours later. The Yantian District People s Court said sentencing will be at a later date.
»China Trial of Hong Kong 12 Begins, US Decries Tyranny and Urges Immediate Release of Activists
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China Trial of Hong Kong 12 Begins, US Decries Tyranny and Urges Immediate Release of Activists
Pro-democracy supporters protest to urge for the release of 12 Hong Kong activists arrested as they reportedly sailed to Taiwan for political asylum and citizen journalist Zhang Zhan outside China s Liaison Office, in Hong Kong, China December 28, 2020. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
Ten of the so-called Hong Kong 12 were in court in the southern city of Shenzhen facing charges linked to an illegal border crossing.
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