Judge dismisses actor Gregory Wong’s ‘untruthful’ defence that he only entered the protester-occupied Legco complex in 2019 to give phone chargers to reporters
Prosecutors allege Lai penned seditious pieces calling for overthrow of mainland China’s ‘totalitarian regime’ and advocating trade war to contain Beijing.
Pro-democracy activist Ventus Lau Wing-hong (third left) was one of those who were arrested.
Photo: AFP
The Democratic Party s Facebook page said the arrests were related to an independently organised primary vote last year to select democratic candidates for a legislature election.
Leader Carrie Lam had warned at the time it would amount to subversion.
Beijing imposed the law on the former British colony in June last year.
The wave of arrests is the biggest crackdown on Hong Kong s pro-democracy opposition under the new legislation.
It is thought to include well-known opposition figures from both the Democratic Party and the Civic Party like James To, Lam Cheuk Ting, and Lester Shum.
53 HK anti-govt figures arrested for subversion to ‘deter natl security law offenders’
Chen Qingqing Published: Jan 06, 2021 08:56 AM Updated: Jan 06, 2021 11:46 AM
Hong Kong Police Wanchai district headquarters, Aug. 21, 2019 (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)
The Hong Kong Police Force confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that it arrested 53 people on charges of subversion, including six involved in organizing and planning it, in a move which observers said is a legitimate and long-awaited action.
Those arrested included Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting and anti-government lawmakers and district councilors who took part in the so-called 35-plus political strategy last year, which was aimed at subverting the political power of Hong Kong authorities, officials and experts said.